I Will Become the Wind
by Blaizekit
Summary: Returning to the past means a chance to re-shape the future. Having experienced what's to come, Naruto begins his journey to train and find Sasuke before the sparks of the Fourth War can be lit. But for those who experienced the Time-Spanning Incarnation, things are never so clear-cut. There is no going back to the way things were. The only way is to move forward. [TWTBW sequel]
1. The First New Mission

**Rated T for canon-typical violence/themes/language  
** **Genre:** UA; Dimensional Time-Travel.  
 **Category:** Gen  
 **The soundtrack for this and my other fics can be found on spotify user Blaizekit3!**

 ** _This fic is sequel to The Windmill Turns Both Ways [ID:_** ** _9704184]_. Read that one first for the full story. Or continue on, if you're a former reader or wild rebel.**

 **General disclaimer that both these fics are based on Naruto pre-700 manga canon. Some anime-only, novelization, or post-700 things _may_ be in it, but many/most things will not. This is just to make things simpler and easier for me, since I'm not current with... any of those.**

 **Many thanks go to bikingrhino and junkie-kun for beta reading, and to evie for letting me pester/bounce off lots of obscure questions about Kiri-nin with them.**

* * *

 **I Will Become the Wind**

 **CHAPTER 1 | The First New Mission**

 **Naruto** scuffed his sandal on the road, bounced his knee, and looked up into the sky for the dozenth time. The reds of evening were already lighting up the Hokage monument as the sun set. The scaffolding around Tsunade's newly-minted face looked especially eerie in the long shadows.

"Let's just go in, Sakura-chan! It'll serve him right for making us wait around! He _has_ to be doing this on purpose."

"Three days." Sakura crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "We've known about this meeting for _three days_ already! There's no way you can be late with that much notice! He'll probably say something like, 'oh, sorry, on the way here Pakkun got a thorn in his paw, and it took five hours to get it out'. Yeah, right!"

"That's mean to Pakkun, don't you think?"

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto and Sakura screeched in unison as Kakashi stepped into their view.

"You were messing with us! Admit it!" Naruto stamped on the ground.

"It's nice to see you too, Naruto," Kakashi said, lowering the book from his face. "I'm glad you're finally out of the hospital. This mission should help you spend all that energy you've built up over the past few weeks… I hope."

"You already know what we're doing, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, still scowling.

Kakashi looked up at the Hokage tower with solemn significance. "I'll let Tsunade-sama fill you in. Let's go."

Naruto felt a thrill of anticipation as they went inside. After all that time in the hospital, re-building the strength in his body—even spending his _birthday_ laying in bed!—the prospect of a new mission was as delicious a bowl of pork cutlet ramen. Extra large.

Tsunade was standing at the window facing the brilliant sunset when they came in. She turned around and sat down at her desk, gazing at them over her folded hands for several silent seconds before speaking.

"Everyone, please remain calm when you hear about this mission."

"What's going on, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura said nervously. She looked back at Kakashi, standing behind them. "Shouldn't our first mission back be… I don't know…"

"Don't worry, Baa-chan!" Naruto said, pointing his thumb at himself. "Chasing after Oto-nin? Akatsuki? Trust me, I've got plenty of aggression stored up for those guys. When do we go? Is it tonight?"

Tsunade closed her eyes with a sigh, then opened them again.

He should have known not to trust that gleam.

"There is going to be a special banquet held in the village tomorrow, with high-level clients and officials from the Fire Country and elsewhere. A lot of very important people will be there."

Naruto leaned forward, face brimming with anticipation.

"You will be… wait staff," Tsunade said with a pleasant smile. "But since you're too untrained to deal with the public, your task will be to bus tables and help clean."

Silence for a moment. Sakura's shoulders slumped, either with disbelief or relief. Naruto fell forward, but caught himself just in time.

"A _D-rank_ mission?" The incredulity sent his voice high enough to crack. Being thirteen didn't help.

"Don't forget, you're still genin," Tsunade said bluntly, all trace of amusement gone. "You just got out of the hospital. The village is still on high alert from Orochimaru's attack and Akatsuki's infiltration. Do you really think now is the time for your team to go out on any big or dangerous missions? You don't have that kind of leeway."

"I'm not Jiraiya-sama, either," Kakashi said. "Akatsuki doesn't care if I'm around."

"Then when is Ero-sennin coming back?" Naruto asked stubbornly, crossing his arms behind his head. "We need to continue our training."

"It's nice to be liked."

"You should be grateful we're getting any missions at all," Sakura said, glaring across at Naruto. "You were in a coma for three months, getting your meals out of a tube just a few weeks ago, and now you want to fight against Akatsuki? Did you forget what happened to Kakashi-sensei last time?"

Kakashi turned his doleful look from Naruto to Sakura.

"You're not going to be the only genin there," Tsunade cut in, picking up a stack of papers and tapping them on her desk to straighten them. "I decided to add your team at the last moment because Naruto's recovery was going so well, and this was the only mission I could get you on without any fuss. You're free to spend another day on standby if you're not feeling up for it."

Silence.

"Then if there are no relevant questions, you all are dismissed. I have other things to do today than listen to your complaining."

She looked extremely annoyed. Naruto wondered if the banquet was interfering with her, too. He muttered darkly to himself as they turned to leave.

"Wait just a moment, Naruto."

He turned back around to face Tsunade, scowling.

"I need to talk to you for a few minutes. Close the door."

Sakura glanced at him curiously, then back at Tsunade. Kakashi motioned for her to follow, and she did, looking back over her shoulder. Naruto did as asked and shut the door, his foreboding growing.

"Just so you know, there is a more specific reason why I don't want you to go too far outside the village until Jiraiya gets back. And why it's better for you to keep a low profile on this mission."

"Huh?"

"The Barrier Corps detected an intruder in the village a while back—not long after you woke up the first time. The worrying thing is, they left or escaped before anyone could see them, so we don't know their identity or motives for certain. There was only one clue: the corps placed the breach at your apartment."

"An intruder—" Naruto's mind quickly panned back to the times, past and present, when Itachi showed up for him. "Itachi?"

"It's a possibility, considering the intruder managed to slip past the guards and the barrier. We suspected it was someone in Akatsuki. But we couldn't understand why they would return to the scene of their own crime."

"But… if that happened way before I came back, why didn't you tell me sooner, Baa-chan? Did they come after me at the hospital or something?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Not that we know of. After that happened, we made sure to have someone watching you all the time. The toads took turns with it at first, which is why Fukasaku-sama was there. The ANBU took over after Jiraiya needed the toads to help him with his investigation. Ever since then, there has been a lot of discussion. Given your state of… absence, not everyone thought it was the best use of our resources."

She paused, leaning on one hand, then shook her head again. "The point is, even before you came back for good, I knew something was off. If Akatsuki succeeded in taking the Kyuubi, not only would you _not_ be able to wake up, there would be no reason for them to risk coming back here. There would be no reason for anyone to come after you."

"So…"

"I think they were trying to investigate it, too. They found out someone stole the bijuu before they could."

Naruto stared.

"Anyway, Jiraiya will be back soon, and I would like you to go with him."

That was enough to gave him a spark. "Really? How soon? Are we gonna go after Orochimaru?"

"Right now, Akatsuki may or may not know that you've returned. I want them to stay in the dark about that for as long as possible. You and Jiraiya will leave the village quietly, at night, while there aren't as many people around. It might not do any good. It's just slowing the inevitable. But once you're out, moving around from place to place will make it harder for them to track you."

Naruto wasn't sure if this was good news or not. The way she was talking felt too similar to her attitude in the other timeline.

"But… I don't want to be safe if that means I can't do anything." He took a step froward, gesturing for emphasis. "Are you saying that I'm only being allowed out 'cause that'll throw off Akatsuki? What about my training? What about Sasuke and Orochimaru?"

Tsunade stood up and went back to the window, not answering for several moments.

"If there's a chance you're right about what Orochimaru can do, we need to know as soon as possible," she said eventually. "If not for that, I'd say it's too risky. Shorthanded as we are, we can't send you quick backup if things go wrong. But we can't allow that jutsu to exist here. There are too many people who would cause havoc with that kind of power."

She turned back to Naruto. "You had better find out how this whole thing starts."

Naruto stared up at her with determined eyes. Then, a small smile, as he curled his outstretched hand into a fist.

"You can count on it 'ttebayo!"

* * *

The restaurant manager eyed the line of genin critically, arms crossed. Naruto, Sakura, Ino, Chouji, Shino, Kiba, and Hinata all stood side-by-side under his scrutinizing gaze. They had already changed into their simple uniforms: black pants, black vest, white shirt, and black bow-ties.

" _This_ is who Hokage-sama sends for my restaurant's most important event?" he sniffed. "These ridiculous security measures keep me from hiring out of town, and they make up for it by sending these kids to help! Do any of you have experience?"

"I prefer buffets and yakiniku," Chouji said, digging in to a bag of chips.

"Ino helps at her dad's shop," Naruto said. Ino elbowed him forcefully in the side.

"Can you greet guests and wait on tables?" The manager asked her.

"Sure! And Naruto can stick to taking out the trash and cleaning toilets, he'll be good at that," Ino said cheerfully.

The manager looked at Naruto disdainfully. "Yes. You, and you, and you."

He pointed at Chouji and Kiba in turn. Chouji was still eating chips, and Kiba was busy tugging on his bow-tie to loosen it. Even without the usual hoodie, Akamaru rested atop his head.

"I want you three to keep away from the food and the guests. We'll find you some cleaning work."

"What? So the girls get to talk to people, but we don't?" Naruto complained, rubbing his ribs.

The manager ignored him. "The dinner is set to start in two and a half hours, and I've _just_ found out we have a special delegation from Kirigakure to deal with, too. I need one of you to run buy some squid ink for a Land of Water dish I'm adding."

"Leave it to me! I can run faster than anyone here!" Kiba said, and Akamaru barked.

The manager closed his eyes as if restraining himself, or maybe gathering inner strength. "Alright then. We have a lot of work to do in the meantime. My crew will take the lead and show you all what to do. Everybody hustle!"

After they were each given specific directions on where to go, they were dismissed to go find their tasks. It was a lot like being led into battle. Naruto moved to follow Chouji, but stopped when he saw Hinata standing in his path.

"Naruto-kun," she said hesitantly, looking down, fiddling with the buttons on her uniform vest. "I'm-I'm glad to see you're okay. Um, it's not just me—what I mean is—you were in the hospital for so long, everyone was worried."

"Ehhh," Naruto said dubiously. "But nobody visited me much, 'cept for Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei."

"That's not true," Hinata said. Her face was going red, and she started talking faster with every word. "W-we all did at first, but they stopped letting us after a while. Tsunade-sama said it was to keep you from getting sick. Sakura convinced her to stay if she learned how to watch the machines and write things down."

"Baa-chan did what?" Naruto was distracted by this bit of info.

"Why are you two standing around?" a voice barked from the kitchen's doorway.

Hinata jumped. "Ah! S-sorry!"

She turned and fast-walked toward the door, spluttering apologies. Naruto followed at an unhurried pace, just to get the manager's blood pressure up.

* * *

By the time the dinner started, it felt like they had been working forever already. Naruto was not sorry to be shooed into the back the moment the first big shot contributor showed up. They had always been his least favorite type of civilians to deal with.

Naruto ended up cursed by Ino's suggestion. The manager had him constantly dragging trash and cleaning pans once the first round of cooking was done.

There was a brief lull after that. It found Naruto, Kiba, and Chouji lounging in the back of the restaurant, half-lurking around the big horizontal freezers in the hopes that no one would need them.

"I thought I would be able to make my comeback doing something more important," Naruto said, messing with his bow tie. It had fallen apart somehow, and he had no idea how to fix it.

"Me'n Akamaru caught a whiff of some ANBU hanging around outside," Kiba said. "That's who is really guarding this place. Guess we really are nothing but busboys tonight."

"It can't be helped," Chouji said. "We couldn't even pass the Exams."

"We're about to serve the dinner plates. You guys have to go collect all the appetizer stuff. Hurry up!" Sakura called out on the way over to them. She turned on her heel and left without waiting for an answer.

"We're never getting out of here," Naruto grumbled, sliding down from the freezer he sat on.

The room was decorated to look light and airy, with translucent silk streamers strung between huge paper lanterns. With all the people, the room seemed bigger than it really was. Only a few were still sitting at their tables; the rest had gotten up to socialize. It looked surprisingly casual, despite all the showiness. No one spared Naruto more than a glance as he pushed his way through with a round tray, aiming for a less populated table near the edge of the room. He reached for one of the empty plates.

"Naruto?"

Naruto turned to see Shikamaru, looking strange dressed up in a suit and tie. Asuma, Kurenai, and a few other jounin stood in a loose cluster behind him.

"Shikamaru! What the hell? How do you get to hide out over here when all the rest of us have to work?"

"I'm a guest," Shikamaru said. He didn't look any happier about being in formal wear than Naruto did in his busboy uniform. "They only have some of you genin helping with this thing, anyway."

" _Us_ genin? You mean—"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I guess you didn't hear about it yet, being comatose and all. I passed."

Not long ago, Naruto would have been surprised to hear that Shikamaru already passed. But he'd seen what his former classmate would be like in the future.

Naruto grinned. "That's great! Congrats!"

"Stop chatting and get back to work!" the manager snapped on his way by, appearing from nowhere.

"Okay," Naruto said, but he stuck his tongue out at the man's back and stayed put out of sheer stubbornness.

"They're all tense because the Mizukage actually showed up," Shikamaru said, inclining his head. "Most of the other guests are business and government types, not shinobi. This is supposed to be a contract pitch session more than anything."

Naruto looked over to where Shikamaru indicated. He saw a short kid talking to some important Fire official, and wanted to ask who he meant—but who else could it be? The short guy was the only one with the hat dangling behind his shoulders, the kanji _mizu_ printed on it.

"Normally, none of the Kage would bother to come all this way to talk about the next Exams, much less intrude on a dinner with clients from the Fire country. But apparently he _really_ wants the next one to be held in Kirigakure. I have to play ambassador to his hand-picked genin team now. It's such a pain."

Naruto noticed the Fire official talking to the Mizukage had a strained smile, nodding short, hurried nods as if he hoped someone would come along to interrupt the conversation.

"I can't believe that shrimp is a Kage." Naruto laughed.

"Well he is, so shut up before he hears you, idiot."

Right at that moment, the Mizukage's pale pink eyes slid past the person he was talking to and landed on them. Naruto yelped and hid behind his tray.

"S-Shikamaru," he hissed, but the other boy had already turned around to strike up a lively conversation with Asuma. So much for loyalty. Naruto peeked around his tray.

The Mizukage's neutral expression didn't change, and in less than a second his gaze traveled on to something else. But Naruto couldn't relax right away. The moment they made eye contact, he suddenly remembered what Zabuza had told them about Kirigakure's old graduation ceremony. Was that this Mizukage, or had it been the one before him? His weirdly young appearance made it hard to figure out.

"Naruto! What's taking so long? They need help in the kitchen!" Ino scolded him as she zoomed by with a tray full of food.

Irritated by the command, yet grateful for some reason to move away from the spot, Naruto stomped back into the chaos of the kitchen.

* * *

The banquet didn't end until well after midnight, and all the genin were left frazzled, tired, and sweaty. Even Naruto and Sakura had to admit that being on standby might have been better. When Kakashi reminded them that their team would be meeting again bright and early the next day, he sounded entirely too cheerful.

"Easy for him to say," Naruto muttered before they dragged themselves home. "He'll be late, anyway."

Despite their lack of enthusiasm, they still showed up: Sakura with her hair frizzy and unstraightened, and Naruto, who fell back asleep under a tree in anticipation of their long wait.

But that morning, something incredible happened.

Something unbelievable. World-shattering.

Kakashi showed up at the scheduled time.

"Morning!" he said casually, raising a hand in greeting. He paused at the sight of his students staring at him. "Oh. Are you still asleep?"

"That's it," Naruto croaked blearily from his position on the ground. "That explains why I'm hallucinating."

"Since you guys had such a hard time yesterday, I thought you deserved a reward for your cooperation," Kakashi said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheaf of small, rectangular papers.

"What's that?" Sakura cautiously came over to look at them.

Naruto climbed to his feet as gracefully as someone climbing out of a swimming pool. "What are we doing?"

"I heard from Tsunade-sama that you had some interest in learning how to use your element," Kakashi said to Naruto. "It's a good idea. I showed this to Sasuke before the exams, so it's only fair for you two to start on the basics as well."

Naruto and Sakura looked at each other and then back at him. Naruto tilted his head in puzzlement.

"Do you really mean it? We're not going to have to chase after stray cats or clean toilets or scrub dishes today?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Okay. Who are you, and what have you done with Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura said, hands on her hips.

Kakashi looked at them silently for a couple of seconds. "You're both aiming for something even higher than passing the next Exams, right? You're going to have to start now if you hope to reach your goal. Besides, with Naruto leaving soon, it may be a while before we have any more missions together."

"Leaving soon? What are you talking about?" Sakura looked at Naruto as if expecting him to contradict that statement.

"I'm gonna be traveling and training with Ero-sennin again as soon as he comes back to the village," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head.

He expected Sakura to protest against him leaving their understaffed team, and braced himself for the inevitable onslaught. But it never came. She just said 'oh', then turned back to Kakashi.

"What are those slips of paper for, sensei?"

"These are made from a special kind of paper, and they are a litmus for determining your elemental affinity. Channel your chakra into it, and the way it reacts will tell which element you have the closest affinity to." Kakashi held up a single slip between his fingertips. A couple of seconds later, it crumpled in a radius from his fingers. "This is what happens if your affinity is lightning."

"Let me see!"

Naruto already knew his affinity, but he reached eagerly for one of the papers anyway. He focused on the little slip, took a breath, then channeled his energy into it.

With a sharp sound, the paper split in two. Naruto grinned up at Kakashi.

"It looks like you have wind," Kakashi said. "Wind is the sharpest of the elements. It works well for someone who specializes in offense. Unfortunately, I can't use it myself. I can explain how it works, but you'll have to learn the details from someone else."

Naruto stared at the two halves of the paper, excitement bubbling up in his chest. He couldn't wait to try out the Rasen-Shuriken. His older self had explained some of it to him, but explanations never worked as well for him as actual experience, anyway.

"Which one do I have, sensei?"

Sakura watched with wide-eyed fascination as the paper fractured and crumbled in her hand. The pieces fell away and got swept up in the breeze. She looked up questioningly.

"You have earth." Kakashi gave one of his eye-smiles. "That's good. I have several good _doton_ jutsu I can show you. But before either of you can get around to using any jutsu, you have to learn how to mold your chakra into an elemental form. For some people it just takes visualization, and others need to have a physical representation or goal to get a feel for it. Sakura, your chakra control is already good, so I don't think it will be a problem for you. On the other hand, earth demands a great deal of stamina. You probably would have been better off with wind, which requires less, but has more technical difficulty than Naruto probably realizes."

Both of them were scowling now, but as usual, it had no effect.

"Okay then, let's get started!"

They spent the rest of the day trying to learn how to shape their chakra into an elemental form. While Sakura decided to try visualizing it, Naruto eventually had to resort to holding blades of grass between his palms to try to slice through them with wind energy.

It was more difficult than he expected. By the time they were ready to stop for lunch, Naruto was breathing hard, bits of grass stuck to his face. Sakura flopped down to the ground the moment Kakashi said they were going to take a break. Naruto sat down beside her and eagerly ripped open his lunch box.

"Ugh, I didn't think this would be so hard," Sakura said, sitting up heavily. "I thought I might be able to use this to compete with you and Sasuke-kun, but I don't know…"

Naruto chewed until he had cleared his mouth enough to talk. "Y'know, while I'm gone, I'm gonna be training with Ero-sennin so I can get stronger as soon as possible. Maybe you need to do something like that, too."

"Yeah…"

Naruto kept eating, but at a slightly slower pace. He was trying to think of how to approach it. The Sakura he met in the future could turn a building into splinters with a single punch and heal pretty much anything. But what were the chances that _this_ Sakura would listen to him?

"Those last couple weeks in the hospital, you got really good at reading the machines and stuff. Maybe you should ask Baa-chan if she'd be willing to train you. I mean, you're smart enough to learn all that."

Sakura shot him a look, like she was suddenly suspicious of his compliments. "Maybe, but being able to read the machines wouldn't really help me in a fight." But there was uncertainty in her tone.

Naruto shrugged and let it go. They continued to eat, making mostly small talk.

"Okay everyone. Ready to get started again?"

They continued training into the evening, each making small, incremental progress with their element. It didn't feel like much considering the hours spent, but Naruto couldn't help but get excited when he thought about mastering the Rasen-Shuriken.

After all, they still had time to find Sasuke before Akatsuki made any big moves. Maybe years.

If they could improve fast enough, there was a chance to make up for letting him leave without a fight.

There was still so much to do.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I'm very happy to be back. Chapter 2, Orochimaru's Footsteps, will post June 8. Please look forward to it!**


	2. Orochimaru's Footsteps

**(posted 6/8/17)**

 **CHAPTER 2 | Orochimaru's Footsteps**

 **By** the time Kakashi dismissed them for the day, Naruto and Sakura were completely exhausted. But it wasn't like the night before when they dragged themselves out of the banquet. This was the unique kind of tiredness that came from a good day of training.

"Now that you understand the basics, you should keep training to get a feel for it," Kakashi said. "There's no substitute for practice when it comes to this first step. Once you can generate your element without having to think about it, then you can move on to learning how to shape its form."

"Are we gonna meet tomorrow and work on it some more?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi shook his head. "Since the team is on hold indefinitely, I have another mission to do. Yours is probably going to be longer term, so the rest of us have to pick up whatever we can. Just keep at it." He turned and raised a lazy hand. "Well, see you later."

Naruto and Sakura were left standing in silence for a moment after he left.

"I thought you were just training," Sakura said. "Are you... going after Sasuke? Is that your mission with Jiraiya-sama?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not exactly. But I'm definitely going find him if I can. We're hunting down Orochimaru, and if Sasuke's there, I'll do whatever it takes to bring him back."

Sakura wiped her forehead with her arm to avoid smearing her face with dirt. "Orochimaru? Why?"

"Ero-sennin wants to find him, so it's the best chance I've got."

"Oh."

Only partly true. But Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade didn't want anyone else to know about the future Orochimaru and his ability to summon people through time. At least, not until they decided everything Naruto learned was true.

The more people knew about it, the higher risk of the Time-Spanning Incarnation existing in this world. That was their reasoning, anyway.

Sakura hesitated. "I need to be getting home. See you later."

In the future, _he_ was always the one out of the loop. Sakura, along with Kakashi and everyone else, had hidden future events from him as long as they could.

It wasn't fair. But it was understandable.

"Sakura-chan, wait," Naruto blurted out, trotting over to Sakura.

She paused to look back at him. "What?"

Naruto's mind went blank for a second as he tried to figure out where to start.

"Um, listen. I know everybody keeps saying we don't know what happened to me, but that's not true. I know, and so does Baa-chan and Ero-sennin—the Toads—and Kakashi-sensei. They're the only other ones who know. At least here."

"Huh?" Sakura looked confused.

"It's a really long story, and it's kind of hard to explain." Naruto looked down at the ground. "Maybe you won't even believe me, but I think they do. That's the real reason we're going after Orochimaru. I mean, I still want to find Sasuke, too. But that's what the mission is about."

"A-Alright," Sakura said with a question in her voice. She seemed taken aback by his serious tone, but she put down her backpack and sat. "So, what? You're saying Orochimaru is the reason you were in a coma for three months?"

"Yeah. He—well, a different him—you know how Kakashi-sensei said Orochimaru summoned the dead Hokage to fight for him? He learned how to do that with people from the past, too. Or the present, really, 'cause it was him from the future that did it."

"What you just said made absolutely no sense, Naruto."

"Ugh, I know!" Naruto rubbed his hands through his hair in frustration. "Okay. Long story short: my soul went into the future while my body was left back in this time. It was because Orochimaru in the future developed a jutsu that could do that."

"Okay..." it was clear Sakura was honestly trying to listen to him. But she still looked confused and uncertain. "And... you think Orochimaru in this time might learn how to do it? Or that he already knows how?"

"Yeah! Exactly. But it's not just that. I found out a lot while I was in the future. Like what might happen if we can't get Sasuke back soon. So that's why... that's why I wanted you to train with Baa-chan. I know how strong you'll get if you do. If we can't find him soon—"

"Wait. Back up a minute. What might happen to Sasuke?"

Standing a short distance away from the two, Kakashi decided he had heard enough. He pushed off from the tree he was leaning against and left, staying out of their sight.

Hey, it wasn't his fault.

* * *

The following morning, Naruto woke to a loud, belligerent croak.

"Wha?"

He rolled over sharply and almost fell off the bed. In a half-asleep state, he rolled back the other way so quickly that he face-planted into the wall. A toad landed on his head and croaked again.

"Damn it..." Naruto sat up slowly and stared at the toad that hopped down in front of him. It wore a collar with a small scroll tucked into it.

It blinked. Naruto blinked.

 _"Ah—!"_ He swiped the scroll and tore into it eagerly.

 _Meet me tomorrow morning before dawn at the main gate. Try not to call any attention to yourself. The fewer details getting back to Akatsuki, the better._

"Yes! Finally!"

Naruto jumped up and ran over to his backpack sitting against the wall. He dumped all its contents into the floor and started replacing it with everything he wanted to take for his trip with Jiraiya.

This was going to be more than just a training journey. This was the first step in using what he learned in the future to make things better this time. He'd missed the chance to face Sasuke before he left. That was the first thing that had to be corrected.

* * *

Naruto stood in front of the stone that marked the village's heroes. A particular _type_ of hero, as Kakashi said when they first became genin. He looked at the blank space at the end of the list, where there would be names yet to come. There would be fewer to put there, if he had anything to do with it.

His eyes traced the most recent names, then moved further back. He almost expected the names not to be there. If they weren't, then maybe the entire thing had just been a dream.

 _Uzumaki Kushina._

 _Namikaze Minato._

Naruto stared at the names as if waiting for them to tell him something. But they were just as silent as the stone they were carved into.

After a few minutes, he pushed himself to go back even further.

 _Uchiha Obito._

He was the only one who knew Obito was still alive. Seeing the name felt strange, knowing it was there by mistake.

It was one of the very few things he'd decided to keep secret, for now. He'd tried to explain as much as possible to the three adults, so they could help prevent disastrous events in the future. It was too important.

The problem with Obito—and a few others—was that Naruto wanted to save them, not destroy them. He just needed time to figure out how.

 _One thing at a time,_ he kept telling himself over and over, like a mantra. First, he would find Sasuke and Orochimaru. Then he would figure out what to do about the Fourth War.

Naruto turned on his heel and walked away from the memorial. Obito's name on the stone was one tragedy too late for him to prevent. But maybe he could stop another one from happening.

* * *

It was still cold and misty when Naruto made it down to the village gate. All he knew was that he was supposed to meet Jiraiya here.

Naruto shifted from one foot to the other in the shadow of the towering gate, shivering slightly. He was brimming with excitement, tempered by a small sense of loneliness. It would have been nice to see his friends and classmates more before leaving.

Everything would be alright. This was the most important thing to do right now.

Naruto sat down on a post, but he didn't have to wait long. He saw a tall, imposing figure appear out of the darkness and jumped up.

"Ero-sennin!"

"How've you been?" Jiraiya said, his face breaking into a grin. "Finally let you out, huh? I'm surprised I didn't hear about you making a daring escape after day three."

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "I wanted to, but after Baa-chan yelled at me and Konohamaru that one time—"

"Ahhh, the Honorable Grandson? That sounds like an interesting story."

"Well it's not—like I was even hurt, she just…" Naruto halted several times then stopped.

"What's wrong?"

Naruto laughed again, but it came out sounding a bit confused. "I was gonna say you should remember that, but it happened in the future."

"You know, it's weird when you say things 'happened' in the future, in the past tense," Jiraiya said, looking skeptically at Naruto from the corners of his eyes. "I'm sure you were just as much of a handful to deal with then. I can imagine Tsunade's reaction when you showed up."

"It was lucky I had this." Naruto pulled Hashirama's necklace out from under the neckline of his shirt. "She said something like there was no way anybody could make a fake one."

"Someone could have taken it from your future self, I suppose."

"Ehh… well… my older self didn't have it anymore. It kinda got destroyed."

"How irresponsible." Jiraiya rubbed his chin, looking intrigued. "Hm. That is interesting."

"What is?"

"I wonder if having the Shodai's crystal helped you live with the body Orochimaru built. Made of plant-clone cells, right? He must have known how dangerous it would be to summon the Kyuubi into that type of body. It could explain why he didn't try to get you sooner."

"Huh?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "He was around when Tsunade gave the necklace to you, so he probably remembers when you got it. It might just be a coincidence, but we wondered why Orochimaru didn't try to summon you from an earlier time, when you would have been easier to manipulate. Just four years—somehow lacks that dramatic flair I'd expect from him."

Naruto gripped the straps of his backpack so tightly that the buckles dug into the palms of his hands. He had never wondered much about why it was him.

But he didn't think it was a coincidence. Nothing the future Orochimaru ever did was a coincidence. Did that mean there were other things he had overlooked when it came to the snake? Probably, but there was no point in worrying about it now.

"We'd better go," Jiraiya said after a pause. "Don't need to be hanging out around here when the sun starts going up. You got everything you need?"

* * *

Sakura fidgeted, twisting her hands together behind her back.

"Tsunade-sama?"

"Hmm?"

Tsunade was sitting among some enormous books, researching something—or studying something, maybe. Sakura decided to approach her like this, rather than with the intimidating Hokage desk between them. The favor she was wanted to ask was huge, and she felt better asking when no one else was around.

"Well, I… I was wondering if you…" Sakura stopped, took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. "I want to be your student."

Tsunade looked up from her work for the first time. "Really? What brought this on?"

"Naruto told me about what happened—what happens in the future. I know he wasn't supposed to, but I won't tell anyone else, I promise. So… please let me train under you so that I can become strong."

Tsunade considered her for a moment. Sakura was afraid the Hokage would be angry about the sudden intrusion, or the fact that Naruto had defied her, or both. She stood up from the desk full of books and walked around, arms crossed as if sizing Sakura up.

"No."

"Hah?" Sakura jolted as if she was given a shock.

"Not for that reason." Tsunade leaned against the edge of the table, fixing Sakura with a gaze at her own eye level. "We still don't know if the information he learned means anything for this time. And even if it does—if it's all true—that _still_ isn't a good enough reason. If you think everything is a foregone conclusion, you'll never be able to endure the hard work and effort it takes to become strong. You need to dig deep and figure out what you really want. And why."

"W-Well…"

Sakura looked down at the floor, rubbing an elbow with her other hand, feeling incredibly foolish.

"I have wanted to be stronger for a while," she said slowly, still not making eye contact. "Especially since the Exams. It seems like every time I think I've made some progress, something happens to remind me that I haven't gotten anywhere at all. Just like when Naruto and Sasuke-kun were both unconscious and it was all up to me. I thought that I'd never have to feel like that again, but then this happened. Sasuke-kun left, and I didn't even get the chance to try and stop him. Naruto disappeared, and all I could do was watch his life gradually fading away. Even Kakashi-sensei… he never said anything, but I could tell it affected him, too."

Tsunade nodded. "But what does it matter? At this rate, your team isn't even a team anymore. You don't have to worry about slowing them down."

"It's not just that anymore!" Sakura's face flushed red now. She shifted in place. "I want to be able to help them, to protect them. We've all been through so much, and they have… become important people to me."

Sakura thought she saw a flickering smile on Tsunade's face, but it was gone in a second and she was back to her serious look. She stood to full height and looked down at Sakura.

"Alright then. I guess we'll just have to see how far that motivation can take you. At least it will be more fun to watch. Can't have your spirit getting crushed too early on."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama," Sakura said with a deep bow, because it was the polite thing to do. She just tried to ignore the foreboding feeling that came from Tsunade's smile.

* * *

Naruto and Jiraiya headed northward. Naruto took it for granted that they would go toward Otogakure, but once they crossed the border of the Land of Hot Water instead, he was no longer sure what they were doing.

After taking several roundabout paths away from any settlements, they eventually arrived at a bustling sea port, just as the downtown fish market was full to bursting with shoppers. They squeezed through the crowd so quickly that Naruto had a hard time keeping up. Jiraiya's stride was long; and despite his size, he was able to flow through the mass of bodies easily.

"Hurry up," was the only encouragement he gave when Naruto had to dodge a massive swordfish slung over a fisherman's shoulder. Naruto muttered expletives to himself and trotted the distance to Jiraiya's side after they finally made it out.

"Couldn't we have gone around the fish place? And what is in this town, anyway? I hope it's something really important."

"Hmm. That depends on what you mean. This town is nothing but a long strip of fish mongers. Nothing but fish. Some of the best crab legs you'll ever find, though." Jiraiya grinned down at him. "This is where I left off tracking Orochimaru before I switched to watching Akatsuki's movements three months ago. I'm pretty sure he has a base close to here. He's probably moved on by now, but it's a start."

Naruto looked at the weathered faces of the buildings to their left. On their right was a long pier with an endless line of boat docks. It was busy here as well, though not as packed as the market had been.

"We'll stay in this town tonight, or until we have a clue about where to go next. We'll just have to take a good guess if we don't find the base," Jiraiya said, motioning for Naruto to follow him down the pier. "If he's not here, Orochimaru probably moved in closer to Oto to wait for Sasuke. Which is good, because we want to avoid going further down the coast if possible."

"Huh? Why?" Naruto asked, not really caring. He watched every person who walked by, as if he expected one to be wearing a sign saying 'information about Orochimaru here'.

"Some missing-nin from Kirigakure have been going around setting fires and attacking ships bound for the Land of Water. They are enemies of the Mizukage's regime. It'll be hard for us to stay low key if we run into them."

Naruto looked over at him with a frown. "I saw the Mizukage in Konoha. He was at this thing Baa-chan made us go to. Why was he there if all this stuff is going on with Kirigakure?"

"Yeah. No one knows for sure." Jiraiya shook his head. "It's been a long time since he's been seen outside the Land of Water. The official claim was that he wanted to negotiate for holding the Chuunin Exams in Kiri. Maybe that is true, and it's just a last-ditch attempt to save his position. But they have been shut off from everyone for a long time. It's so far out of his regular pattern that I don't know what to make of it." He raised a brow down at Naruto. "You wouldn't happen to have any helpful knowledge about it from the future, would you?"

"Nope," Naruto said. "'Cept I know Kiri was part of the Alliance, so they must have had everything worked out by the time of the war."

Jiraiya hummed contemplatively. "I've thought for years it was about time they broke free for good. Still, we need to make sure to stay far out of it. Since this part of the trip was not what we did in the other time line, we don't want to run the risk of interfering with something that turns out okay in the end." He glanced down at Naruto's face and added, "But mostly, because of what I said before about staying low key."

Naruto grinned. It felt good to know that Jiraiya, at least, seemed to believe him.

They made their way down the line of shops facing the pier until Jiraiya stopped at one of the tall, thin buildings wedged in between a general store and an open-front seafood restaurant.

"This is where we will be staying for the time being," Jiraiya said, leading them into the building without hesitation. Naruto followed him, looking around at everything.

The inn looked like an old house that had been converted. Their room resembled an attic, with pale blue walls and a slanted ceiling. Naruto tossed his pack down and looked out the window at the sea, a sense of excitement floating up within him again.

They were here! They were on Orochimaru's trail. They would stop him before he had a chance to develop his jutsu. They would save Sasuke and—

"Alright, you just stay here and practice Sage Mode for a little while. I need to go out for a bit."

"What!" Naruto jumped around. "Come on, Ero-sennin! We just got here! Don't tell me you're just gonna run off to get crab legs or something. Besides, I told you I can do Sage Mode every time now!"

"You said you _could_. You haven't tried it with your real body, right? And from what you've told me, the future you could do it with almost no toad-like characteristics. That's what you need to strive for." Jiraiya waggled a finger. "Since you're younger, it's probably just a matter of your chakra control being less developed. So practice, practice!"

"Fine," Naruto said, settling in to a cross legged position on his bed. "I was gonna try Sage Mode when we got here, anyway. Maybe I can find Sasuke and Orochimaru before you even get back."

"I'm not sure if that'll work." Jiraiya shook his head. "Orochimaru knows about my abilities. He's probably interested in the Sage Arts, himself. He is sure to have guarded against that. The only way you will be able to see Sasuke is if you get lucky and catch him outside of Orochimaru's base."

Naruto fumed for several seconds. "Then I'll just master it so well that even Orochimaru can't hide from me!"

Jiraiya laughed. Naruto didn't find it so funny.

"Every technique has its limitations. You won't be able to rely on your searching abilities every time. But keep your senses peeled, anyway. Even if you can't see inside it, you might be able to notice the base. With any luck, we'll be able to pay a visit really soon."

"Hmph. I'll find it before you do," Naruto muttered.

"Go on, then. Let's see what you've got."

Naruto got into a meditative position and closed his eyes.

He was irritated by the familiar routine, but also happy. Happy because it was so familiar. There had been a few awful weeks, after he had awoken in the past only long enough to learn that Jiraiya was investigating Akatsuki, that Naruto feared he would come back home too late.

All the more reason to take care of the situation with Orochimaru and Sasuke now, before Akatsuki became a problem. There was still time.

 _Focus,_ Naruto reminded himself.

Being quiet and still for once gave the thoughts he had pushed back again and again a chance to float across his consciousness. Particularly about the confrontation much closer at hand—Orochimaru.

And Sasuke. He might even be nearby.

Naruto opened his eyes and flopped backward to stare at the ceiling.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I haven't really been practicing my meditation," Naruto admitted.

"Okay, then do that first of all. Stay here and I'll be back later. Unless you find something, then come tell me. Don't run off."

"...Alright."

Naruto gave an annoyed growl at the ceiling and closed his eyes again.

Clear. Focus.

Now that he had Sage Mode, he was certain he could hold his own against Sasuke—and even win. He had something his older self had not had. That was why they had to find Sasuke right now, when beating him was a lot more likely.

There was just one thing Naruto had tried not to think about much—something he put off more forcefully than anything else, even Obito or Akatsuki.

That was Orochimaru.

Not the Orochimaru they were hunting right now. It hadn't been that long since he and Jiraiya last faced off. Jiraiya could definitely keep him busy long enough for Naruto to find Sasuke.

He seemed almost easy to handle, compared to the _other_ one.

To ensure a safe passage back to their own timelines for Obito and the little Kabuto, Naruto had turned down his father's offer to remove Orochimaru's seal. It allowed Orochimaru to watch through his eyes, hear through his ears—and, worst of all, control his soul. Instead of removing it, Minato had blocked Orochimaru's influence so he couldn't control Naruto's body or drag him away from his dimension anymore. But the chances were very good he could still watch everything, and see the results of the experiment.

Naruto had left things that way on purpose. Offering to give Orochimaru what he really wanted was the only leverage he'd had in that impossible battle.

There was a reason he tried not to think about that much. It was unsettling, for starters. And he was not sure he had done the right thing. Minato wasn't around in this timeline to save him from his reckless decisions. And there was no one here he could talk to about it.

Actually, there was one person. Or rather, one demon.

' _Kurama?'_ Naruto tried.

There was only silence in response. That was how it was most of the time. They managed to put aside their differences long enough to make it home. But the fox apparently did not find it worth the effort to answer him for every little thing.

' _Do you think there's a chance this Orochimaru might… I don't know… recognize himself?'_

 _Idiot._

Naruto jumped at the unexpected answer. _'Kurama! I'm serious. What will we do if he notices the control tag his other self put on me?'_

 _I'll chew him in half before you get the chance to do something stupid, like offer to be his next vessel._

' _Hey, I wouldn't do that! Come on!'_ Naruto said, but Kurama didn't bother to argue back. He was more interested in ignoring him.

Fortunately, the fox had just as much of a grudge against Orochimaru for what he had done to them, if not more of one. Because of him, Kurama had been trapped in a body that gradually leeched off his energy. It shackled him. Their method of escape had probably been painful for him, too.

Naruto sat up and got in a meditative stance again.

 _One step at a time._

Despite the risks, they could not avoid meeting Orochimaru if they were going to save Sasuke. There was no point debating over it.

There was a bright side. This Orochimaru wouldn't expect him to be any stronger than last time. He _definitely_ wouldn't expect him to know how to use Sage Mode. And neither would Sasuke.

Eventually, as the sun sank down below the sea outside the window, Naruto was finally able to get his mind to settle.

Sage Mode came to him eventually, but differently than before. The energy around wasn't drawn toward him like it was in the plant body. But once he found it, it was much easier to balance within himself.

He stretched his senses out, feeling the pier and the forest beyond without ever having to leave the spot.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Toad, Fox, Crow will post June 15. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Toad, Fox, Crow

**(posted 6/15/17)**

 **CHAPTER 3 | Toad, Fox, Crow**

 **Jiraiya** was the first to find the location of Orochimaru's base. At least, that's what he claimed.

They were in the woods on the outskirts of the fishing town, far enough from the shore that they couldn't hear the sea. Buttery daylight filtered through the trees onto the autumn leaves scattered all over the ground.

It would have been a nice place to camp, but there wasn't anything here that suggested the evil lair of a snake-controlling criminal.

"Hm," Jiraiya said, arms crossed. He looked vaguely disappointed. "We might have been too late, after all. I didn't think it'd be that easy. But we might still find something, even if there's no one here."

"This is supposed to be the place?" Naruto asked, squinting around the wooded area. "I can't see anything."

"The last time I was here, I had a pretty good idea of where it was. I took note of it so that I'd be able to come back later," Jiraiya said.

"What? So you already knew where it was? That's cheating! Then what were you doing yesterday?"

"Hey, I wasn't a hundred percent sure. I was originally trying to find a way in that wouldn't tip him off to what I was doing. But that can't be helped now. Things will probably get out of hand anyway if we do find Sasuke, so no point worrying about that. We still want to be careful, though. We'll go in via toad."

"Uh…?"

Jiraiya stepped a few paces away from Naruto and bit his thumb.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Minutes later, Naruto was a mixture of impressed and grossed out as they rode inside of a toad's belly, or whatever they were in. The walls, floor and ceiling were all made of the same soft and sticky material Naruto had seen in Jiraiya's other technique, the one he used against Itachi and Kisame in their first confrontation. But it was dark, and the entire thing jostled around with the toad's movements.

"Ugh, do we really have to do this?" Naruto fell against a wall and immediately had to extract himself from some slime. "Didn't you say that Orochimaru probably wasn't here?"

"I said it _looks_ that way from the outside. If I messed up last time, and he realized I was on his trail, it's possible he might have set something up to fool me. But even if he's not here, there might be some of his people left behind. Or traps specifically set around the most obvious entrances and exits. So we go in the unconventional way."

"I can't see where we're going. How do you steer this thing?"

"I don't steer it. It steers us. Now pipe down. I'm trying to listen."

Naruto did as asked, though he had no idea what Jiraiya was trying to listen for. All he could hear was the faint thud of each landing as they bounced, supposedly, to infiltrate the base. Were they shrunk somehow? Or was the toad's stomach huge? Or maybe everything outside of it got bigger?

The movement stopped.

The hinges of the toad's jaw opened and deposited them unceremoniously into a dark hallway. Naruto had to suppress his _yechh_ of disgust as he was covered in slime. He pulled the hem of his shirt down from under his jacket and used it to wipe his face.

The floor was made of flat, interlocking stones, and the walls looked almost like plaster or packed earth. A network of roots rippled inside the ceiling, thicker ones poking through at intervals, and thinner ones hanging down like cobwebs.

A dim, rusty-brown glow barely illuminated the place, though Naruto couldn't see the source of it. It was completely quiet here. It felt like being inside a grave.

Jiraiya was unperturbed, and completely slimeless. The toad disappeared, and he looked back and forth down the hall.

"Yeah. I don't think anyone is here. Keep your voice down just in case, though."

"What are we doing now?" Naruto whispered.

"First of all, we need to figure out how recently Orochimaru was last here, and where he might have gone next. And look out for anything that might hint about the Time-Spanning Incarnation jutsu." Jiraiya edged carefully down the hallway. Naruto followed, leaning forward to see around him.

The base, though apparently empty, was just as creepy as the one Naruto visited in the future. The long, dark hallways were similar to the ones he and Obito had explored.

"Let's split up and search around. I'll go this way," Jiraiya said, pointing down the hallway. "You go the other way. And remember: watch out for traps. If you find something or run in to any trouble, send me a toad."

Naruto looked down the dark, silent hallway in the direction Jiraiya indicated. "Er—split up?"

"Don't worry. In a low-priority place like this, there won't be anything deadly. But he'll know if something gets set off, so we might have to get out quick." Jiraiya craned his head to look as far as he could down his chosen direction. "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

Naruto started down the hall cautiously, staying alert. The claustrophobic feeling of being buried alive only grew worse the longer he walked without being able to see the end.

Creepy as it was, he had to ignore it. The important thing now was to find out where Orochimaru and Sasuke were. Any clue would be better than nothing.

The space in front of him widened, and the look of the walls changed. They were lined with pale, horizontal wooden slats. There were still roots rippling across the ceiling, but every so often a round, yellow light cast magnified shadows. Naruto's footsteps gradually slowed. He stopped walking and stared a while.

If there was no one here, why were the lights on? This part of the base was just as silent as everything else. But he had a feeling. A creepy feeling. Like suddenly he wasn't alone anymore. Like the hall was just waiting for him to go down it.

Naruto thought about calling for Jiraiya. In the future, whenever he failed to pay attention to the eerie sense of presence he associated with Orochimaru, it had never ended well.

But, supposing the snake was actually here—for once, that was exactly what he wanted. Confronting him was the only way to get Sasuke back.

With that in mind, Naruto continued forward carefully. He reached into the pouch on his belt to curl his hand around the handle of an explosive kunai. If anything happened, Jiraiya was sure to come running at the sound of an explosion.

Naruto arrived at a room that had an old, ragged-looking piece of paper posted outside it. He studied it cautiously. It was some kind of seal, or… something. It had squiggles all around the edges, and in the middle was the outline of a pair of hands.

Naruto turned the doorknob and tried to push it open. Of course, it was locked.

He let go of the kunai in the pouch and looked at the seal again. What would happen if he put his hands into the outlines? Slowly, he reached out and touched his fingertips to the brittle paper. Nothing happened, so he eased his fingers and palms flat onto it.

Still nothing. After all, what were the chances this thing would open for just anyone? Naruto put some chakra into his hands, halfway expecting it to explode on him.

With a click, the door slid open. Naruto jumped back from the seal as if he had been burned. His heart thumped as he stared into the darkness beyond.

It worked?

The second Naruto walked over the threshold, lamps held up by snake heads sticking out of the wall flared into life, and he jumped again with his hands held up, ready to fight.

He could see nothing immediately dangerous. It was just a small room, almost like an office or a storeroom, completely lined with wooden shelves piled with scrolls and thin hand-bound notebooks. On the opposite wall there was a desk. And that was all.

Naruto looked at the rows and rows of books, all arranged neatly up to the low ceiling. It was too much to search through at once, but still… if they wanted information, this looked exactly the kind of place to find it.

He pulled down a few scrolls at random, then noticed a notebook sticking out further than the other ones and grabbed it. Listening hard for any approaching footsteps, he walked over to the desk to take a quick look at them.

Naruto placed the scrolls on the table and sat down with the notebook. The moment he did, he heard a click, and suddenly there was nothing underneath him at all.

He looked down into the square hole where the floor used to be. The scream didn't come out until gravity had already grabbed hold and pulled him down into the darkness below. His first thought was of the notebook he'd let slip out of his grasp, and he clawed wildly at the air to grab at it. No use.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Naruto's clones burst out above him as he fell, one after the other, forming a long chain until the topmost could latch on to the edge of the opening.

"I got it!" the clone said. "Climb up, Boss!"

But then there was a pop of dispelled chakra and the clone disappeared, leaving all the ones underneath to give in to gravity. The trapdoor had snapped closed.

The clone hanging on to Naruto swung its body and threw him feet-first toward the ceiling, but there wasn't nearly enough momentum. Even with all the hands trying to pull him upward, they were all going down.

He landed hard on his back, cushioned only by the bodies of his clones, and they all popped from the impact. Naruto grunted and rolled over, slightly stunned. He jumped to his feet as soon as he could, leaning on the wall for support.

This room, or wherever he ended up, was completely dark, with no lights to offset the windowless atmosphere.

"Damn it!"

Trapdoor or not, Naruto had to get back into that room. He would bust through it by force if necessary.

He summoned more kage bunshin to make another bunshin-ladder, but they all immediately poofed out of existence again.

"Huh?"

Naruto tried calling forth even more clones this time, but they only wobbled and vanished more quickly than before. He jumped up and tried to run up the wall instead, but the wall seemed to soak up the energy in his feet faster than he could expel it. Naruto fell backward again.

And he got up again. But it was more difficult the second time.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Naruto put everything he had into summoning a toad, but all he saw in the brief flash was a little tadpole that flopped and vanished. The room absorbed the chakra before he could even use it.

 _If you keep struggling like this, you're just going to get yourself killed faster._

"I know that!" Naruto burst out in frustration. He kicked the wall, which of course did not help. If he could not call any bunshin, he couldn't even use the Rasengan. Assuming the room wouldn't just absorb that, too.

There was only one thing that might work. It was difficult to resist the urge to fight and claw his way out of the room before his strength gave out, but Naruto sat down cross-legged and put his hands together.

Hopefully this was not one of the traps Orochimaru had decided to make Jiraiya-proof.

Nothing happened at first. Sensing and drawing in energy was difficult, and balancing it with his rapidly diminishing chakra was even more so. The rising fear it wouldn't work made it difficult to concentrate.

Naruto could suddenly feel the room lapping at the edges of his energy like a hungry beast. It trailed fitfully after his diminishing chakra. For a few minutes, he thought the tug-of-war would keep up forever. It seemed like the room was taking away his chakra as soon as he was able to build it back up again. Was there a limit eventually?

But it started taking away some Natural Energy alongside Naruto's chakra as the proportions tipped. After that, the rate at which it was taking his energy slowed. It got slower, and slower. The Natural Energy was winning. Naruto felt his strength coming back.

He couldn't see, and his senses were limited to the confines of the trap room. But he could feel the walls, overburdened with his energy, and the fine cracks forming across every surface. He opened his eyes and curled his fists. _Now_ it was time to struggle and fight.

His muscles felt like springs. Naruto looked up at the faint outline of the trapdoor and jumped. He pulled back his fist and headed straight for the chakra-burdened wall.

The stone walls crumbled under the force of his punch. Naruto pulled himself up into the opening above as the room shook itself into pieces. Gravity kept trying to pull him back down. Bricks cascaded into the trap room, making it impossible to land anywhere for more than a second. He saw scrolls falling into the space and grabbed for them, dodging rocks and continually looking for a handhold.

It was a very noisy process. Any chance of Orochimaru staying unaware that someone had visited was gone.

But Naruto did not particularly care at the moment. He danced through the debris and finally crashed through the ceiling to escape. When he reached the above floor, the storeroom below was gutted and there was a huge gaping opening to the outside where he stood.

Naruto blinked in the unexpected sunlight. Oh. A wall to the outside had collapsed. He jumped out, stuffing collected scrolls in his pockets and brushing dust off his clothes.

That could have gone a little more elegantly. But now that he was free of the trap and out of immediate danger, it was time to regroup.

He sat down on the mossy ground just beside the hole where he had burst out and focused again.

With Sage Mode, it did not take long to conjure up a mental image of the base. A very small part of it was above ground, and part of it was below. There was nothing in the base underground, at least as far as Naruto could tell. He could faintly sense Jiraiya, but not Orochimaru, Kabuto, or Sasuke. But that didn't necessarily mean anything. Maybe there were lower levels that were blocked, or… or maybe he could trace them from here.

Following the complex web of energy around him, drifting in the ebb and flow and allowing it to take him toward anything that felt like a strong disturbance, Naruto was puzzled to feel it leading him back toward the town. There was some significant energy there; something that hadn't been there the day before.

What?

Using the strange combination of feeling and seeing allowed him by Sage Mode, Naruto carefully examined the pier beyond. Nothing looked outwardly different at first. People were milling about in front of shops, the market was packed with the life energies of non-shinobi, and seagulls flew and pecked around the many boats tied to the docks.

There. There was someone whose energy dwarfed all the others in comparison. A shinobi! A powerful one.

Focusing on that energy instead of the images made everything he saw more confusing. It was different from everything else. That energy didn't just exist larger than the others. It moved as if it had its own will.

Darkness spread over the false colors cast by Sage Mode's sense-sight. The seagulls cawed louder and louder. Their voices grew distorted, the many cries layering in a strange cadence. They flapped their wings and shed black feathers. A pair of red eyes suddenly turned toward him within the gloom.

He recognized the reality-bending energy. It was Itachi.

Naruto opened his eyes with a gasp, breaking the strange vision. He stood up and took to the trees, rushing back toward the town before he had the chance to think. He leapt and sped through the trees effortlessly, the infusion of Natural Energy shortening the distance, his body lighter, gravity less substantial.

He moved before hesitation could even attempt to temper his reaction. Was Itachi here following him and Jiraiya? Investigating Orochimaru? Or for some other reason entirely? Was now the right time to try talking to him?

Naruto swore to himself as he continued to weave through the trees. He hadn't told Jiraiya that he was leaving, and now he was rushing right toward Itachi.

But the rogue Uchiha was close to the town, close to civilians. He wouldn't try to start something there, would he? Naruto couldn't see or sense any other Akatsuki members nearby. If they were attacking, there would be someone else along to help.

But even if Itachi hadn't come to attack, things would not be the same as in the future. They were enemies now.

Naruto spared a fleeting glance on either side as he jumped from branch to branch. Itachi's location was hard to pinpoint. At first it looked like he was on the pier, now it was suddenly in the forest.

He saw movement ahead in the trees and stopped, breathing hard.

A dark shadow darted across the path! It was—no, it was just a deer, its fur turned dark by the changing seasons. Had he spooked it, or was it running from something else?

Naruto's supply of Natural Energy was almost completely gone. He still couldn't maintain the Mode for very long. Before it ran out, he desperately cast his senses out to locate Itachi. Surely, any second now…

"There!"

It took just a couple of seconds for him to summon a clone and put together a Rasengan. Naruto aimed it at the patch of energy nearby before his Sage Mode completely ran out. He thrust the spinning ball of chakra through a tree and kept going into the shifting outline of a black-cloaked form—and it promptly exploded into a whirl of feathers.

"Itachi!" Naruto shouted upward, turning around in place as he saw the feathers merge together into crows that flew in furious circles around him. "Where are you? Come out so I can talk to you!"

And suddenly he appeared, forming out of a violent collision of multiple crows in front of Naruto. Itachi stared with his Sharingan burning, so unlike the carefully non threating expression his other self wore.

"Jiraiya-sama should have learned better than to walk off and leave you alone, after what happened the last time."

He was right. But surely Jiraiya would realize it soon. He could stall Itachi long enough for that to happen—and maybe even more.

"Listen," Naruto said quickly. "You're here by yourself, so I don't think you're here to capture me. I don't know why you're here, but right now I'm trying to find Sasuke and get him away from Orochimaru. You can't be happy with him staying there, right?"

The ground underneath his feet began to melt. Twigs and sticks that covered the forest floor turned into wriggling, writhing snakes. Naruto knew they weren't real, but he still gave a sharp intake of breath and jumped backwards.

"Hey, cut it out! I have had enough of this kinda crap with Orochimaru."

"Not only are you alive, but you still have the Kyuubi." Itachi's voice didn't come from any particular direction. It was all around him and inside of his head at the same time. "And it seems Orochimaru was involved."

"Yeah, something like that," Naruto muttered darkly. He yelped when one of the snakes struck at him, and hastily dodged it. He wished there was enough time to go back into Sage Mode again. Was there any, _any_ way to get through to Itachi in a way that he would accept and believe?

Itachi was not going to give him time to think about it. The snakes hissed and lunged at him. Naruto's senses no longer made them slow enough to avoid. The snakes transformed into kunai at the last moment and dug into his shoulder, arm, and leg. The last one grazed Naruto's cheek as he dodged to the side and flattened his back against a tree. He grit his teeth and pulled each of the knives out, fervently hoping they weren't poisoned.

Itachi wouldn't kill him. But he still might try to capture him and bring him back to wherever Akatsuki was operating. If the opportunity was good enough.

Would that be a complete loss, though?

Naruto could practically feel the older Sakura staring him down. _Don't get yourself captured by Akatsuki._

"Orochimaru might be developing a seriously dangerous jutsu!" Naruto shouted, holding his arms in front of himself defensively, glancing around with wide eyes to catch the slightest movement. "That's the thing he got me with. For all I know, Sasuke could be in danger, too! I found out about a lot of stuff, but it'd be really hard to explain it all if you don't—"

Naruto was cut off by a knee to the stomach and then, when he doubled over, a heavy blow to the back of his head. His teeth rattled and dizziness sent him pitching forward. Despite the pain, Naruto tried grabbing at where he'd been hit, only managing to slightly brush against Itachi's coat sleeve before he disappeared out of reach again. Naruto stumbled at the empty space and fell to one knee before quickly pulling himself back up.

"Naruto?"

Naruto twisted around so hastily that the ground pitched, and he almost fell again. As he caught himself and stood more firmly, Naruto's heart thumped so fast he could hear the blood rushing in his ears.

"Sa…Sasuke."

Sasuke looked just as confused as he felt. But his face flashed into anger in a split second.

"Where were you?" he demanded, stepping forward and balling up his fists.

"I…"

"What happened to you? If you cared so much, why weren't you there when I left?" Sasuke's eyes blazed red as he came closer.

"I-I was…"

"You know there is only one way this can end," he said. His hand burst into screaming, crackling lightning.

 _It's not real. It's not real._

Naruto stared the false Sasuke in the eyes. "If you know which way they went, tell me!"

The illusion cracked and shattered like a pane of glass. The pieces fell away and the image of Sasuke disappeared. Earth and sky seemed to reverse, and suddenly he was staring down at a bed of leaves.

"Ugh…"

Naruto was sitting on his knees on the ground. There was something painful digging into his shoulder and leg. He reached up and pulled the kunai stuck in it out again. This time, it hurt a lot worse.

When had Itachi done it? Was everything real now?

"Listen to me, damn it," Naruto growled, looking up.

Itachi was standing where Sasuke had been, finally in plain view. His back was slightly bent, and he held one hand loosely over his eye. The eye Naruto could see was flat black, no longer red.

Itachi stared at him, tension visible in his brow and at the edges of his frown. Naruto was not sure what that expression meant, but he got the feeling Itachi hadn't broken the illusion on purpose.

"Itachi—"

The Uchiha abruptly turned around and disintegrated into dozens of crows. They cawed loudly and circled around each other before escaping into the sky.

"Naruto!"

A completely different voice this time. Leaves crunched under Jiraiya's geta as he ran to Naruto's side.

"Ero-sennin?"

Jiraiya looked around quickly before crouching down. "Are you alright? What were you doing, rushing off without saying anything? Are you trying to get yourself kidnapped?"

"Is he gone?" Naruto croaked, looking around with a squint, as if that could help him see through a genjutsu.

"He left." Jiraiya gave a snort. "I guess they still don't want to tangle with me, especially not so close to town. With that stunt you just pulled, though, Akatsuki would have had plenty of time to get you if they really wanted to. Che! What's their game?" Jiraiya helped Naruto get to his feet, tsk-ing at his injuries.

"Ow… I think Itachi was here to figure out what happened to me."

"Yeah? And you got any idea why he would bother doing that without taking the chance to capture you? Come on, see if you can stand up. We need to change locations before they decide to come back."

"We haven't finished looking around Orochimaru's base yet!" Naruto said, dismayed. "I'll be fine if I get these cuts wrapped up. You know I heal fast, Ero-sennin."

"That's not the issue here, Naruto. Do you know why he let you go? I'm serious. I don't want you to give me the run-around with this one."

"I dunno why," he said, a bit defensively. "I mean, I was trying to get through to Itachi, but he wouldn't listen to me. He put a genjutsu on me, but I think I broke it? Then he left."

Jiraiya gave a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just be more careful from now on, alright? Even if you're right about Itachi being a good guy, he's still dangerous. This is the kid who killed his entire clan. Whatever his reasons might have been, he is not someone who is going to waver easily, no matter what you tell him."

Jiraiya stood up, brushing a few pine needles from his haori. He helped pull Naruto to his feet. "Still… the fact that Akatsuki is investigating you means they don't know what happened. That proves they weren't responsible for it, which makes your theory about all this a little stronger."

"That's what I was thinking! I bet Itachi was the one who showed up in the village!" Naruto burst out excitedly, then winced when he put too much weight on his wounded leg.

"—But confronting Orochimaru and finding proof of this jutsu is the only way to be sure. I have an idea of where we can try looking next, but right now we need to move."

Naruto grumbled, but he knew better than to argue. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the brief encounter with Itachi left him feeling weird and disoriented, and more drained than a physical fight would. That's how it was. Both reality and the genjutsu had felt equally real.

They went back to the town, Naruto leaning on Jiraiya, but trying to walk with as little bit of a limp as possible. Both of them kept on alert while they went back, but there was no trace of Itachi, nor any other Akatsuki member.

"Strange," Jiraiya muttered.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Scorched Earth will post June 22. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Scorched Earth

**(posted 6/22/17)**

 **CHAPTER 4 | Scorched Earth**

 **They** left the town via toad, after gathering their things and wrapping Naruto's injuries.

"Orochimaru's base was partly destroyed when you broke through the trap, and there's no way to fix it so he won't notice," Jiraiya explained. "He may know about it already."

"But why do we have to travel like this? It's _gross_ —and we shouldn't be running away!" Naruto's protests would have continued further, but a sudden large hop sent him face down into the fleshy floor inside the toad for the fifth time.

"We're not. Do you even understand what it means to be undercover?"

Naruto pushed himself back into a sitting position with a scowl. It wasn't just the thought of running away on principle. They might have let vital information slip from their grasp by not staying around and investigating Orochimaru's base some more. Or by going after Itachi.

"We still have time to take more books, or something," Naruto said. "I mean, anything! Now it's like all of that was a waste of time. How are we supposed to find Orochimaru now?"

A sly grin appeared on Jiraiya's face and he sat down cross-legged, plopping hands on his knees with finality. "Oh? You mean like the ones I have stored in here?"

He pulled a storage scroll from the folds of his gi and waved it around casually.

 _"Whaaaaat?"_ Naruto scrambled to get closer. "When? How?"

"I got them from that room. It was easy to find, since you blew a hole in it," Jiraiya said. "It wasn't as much as I would have liked, since I was in a hurry, and I had to be careful not to spring any more traps. Most of them I haven't been able to get into yet because I want to make sure they are safe to open."

"What the hell, Ero-sennin? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I wanted us to concentrate on getting away from there as quickly as possible. We can at least keep Orochimaru in the dark about who was snooping around in his base. If we are lucky, he'll think Akatsuki did it."

Naruto leaned back against the soft wall. He was gradually getting used to this method of transportation. "So what'll we do now? Are we going to Oto this time?"

"Yeah. Unless we find out anything else, that is probably going to be our best bet. I wish we had something more solid to go on. But for tonight, we are going to stay just outside of Oto. It will give you a good night's sleep to rest up, and I can see if there is anything to learn from the materials I took."

Naruto was slightly disappointed, but he knew better than to argue at this point. He felt of his leg wound through the bandages, and it still hurt a bit. The trap in Orochimaru's base had left his chakra reserves low for a few hours, despite the temporary boost from Sage Mode. His wounds were just now starting to heal up.

All the excitement and fighting was settling into his bones now that they were just sitting and waiting to arrive at their next destination. Naruto did not resist the sleep he could feel tugging at him. His eyes fluttered closed against the sight of Jiraiya pulling out a few books to examine. The rhythmic motions of the toad were strangely soothing.

* * *

 _Fire._

A haze of smoke hung low over the charred ground. It had already come and gone here, but the smell of fire still remained. The burned undergrowth crunched beneath Sasuke's feet as he stared blankly through the destruction. The occasional flake of ash drifted through the air. The wind shifted, pulling the smoke along in its wake.

A tall, slim figure stood beside him. Orochimaru. He tilted his head to the side to speak down at Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't respond. He seemed completely indifferent to the surroundings. Instead of examining the burned ground underneath them, he looked off inattentively in the distance.

But he was there. He was alive. And he was himself, for now.

Naruto wanted to yell out to get his attention. But he couldn't move.

A drift wind came through, pulling a heavy wave of smoke across his vision.

Naruto opened his eyes. He woke up so simply and naturally.

But his chest still ached, and he could still smell fire.

It was night time, and they were in the forest. Naruto sat up and saw Jiraiya still working, sitting next to a camp fire that filled the air with warmth and the smell of wood smoke. His stomach sank with disappointment. But it was chilly, so he got up and sat down inside the circle of warmth.

"What time is it?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Not exactly sure, but it'll be dawn soon. I found something I want you to take a look at. Tell me what you think."

Jiraiya put the scroll he was holding aside and picked up a loosely bound book that was laying in a bag full of papers and scrolls next to his foot. Naruto took it curiously. Jiraiya had put a few lines inside of red brackets, a star scrawled above them.

 _Dead souls can never change. Even if they are brought back into the living world, they must stay as they were at the moment of death. That is one of the few ways to defeat the Edo Tensei summoning technique._

 _On the other hand, no matter what happens to a living soul, it will keep going—growing, adapting—until the body dies. That tenacity is more powerful than anything the Edo Tensei can produce._

Naruto felt a chill that had nothing to do with the early morning air. He quickly scanned the rest of the page to see if there was anything more specific—any direct reference to the Time-Spanning Incarnation jutsu. But there wasn't one.

"So?" Jiraiya prodded. "Further along on the page, he's just talking about how switching to a new body before it dies can extend your life. But for a second there, it sounds like he's describing the same thing you told me. How he was disappointed by that one part of the Edo Tensei."

"I don't know." Naruto handed the book back. "I mean… if he didn't try to do it until four years from now, I guess that means he doesn't figure it out until then? I don't remember anything about what happened when I first got summoned into the future. I just remember waking up afterward near some little town, and there was nobody else around. Not Orochimaru or Kabuto or any of the Edo Tensei zombies."

"It wouldn't surprise me if completing it took him a few years. He might have had this idea in the back of his mind ever since he discovered the Edo Tensei." Jiraiya gave a low, rumbling sigh. "I would say this is a good sign, but it still isn't proof. And doing anything to get Orochimaru on the right track might be more risky than it's worth, so we can't ask him about it even if we find him."

"But how're we supposed to get proof without asking him? We should just show this to Baa-chan and figure out a way to stop it from happening again."

"Even if things are going the same way, we have time to figure it out. Let's keep moving forward carefully and see what we find."

Jiraiya tucked the notebook into the folds of his gi, and gathered the others to put away inside the storage scroll.

"I hope you're ready for some training on the road. After we eat, find any leaves that are still green. I've seen what you can do with Sage Mode, so now let's see how far you've gotten with your element."

* * *

They continued making their way closer and closer to Otogakure, stopping at every place Jiraiya thought might yield some useful information. The bases here were not unmanned like the one in the Land of Hot Water, and it took a lot more care to figure out if Sasuke and Orochimaru were there, simply because sneaking in was not an easy option.

Their search continued to turn up empty.

Naruto stared at the gray sky outside the window of the latest hotel they were staying in. Somehow, he got reduced to reading over Jiraiya's next book while the man himself was out 'researching'.

"If you don't understand a word or a kanji, look it up," Jiraiya had said. "It's good for you."

At least they'd been able to train every day while they traveled and searched. After Jiraiya suggested he element train using multiple kage bunshin at once, Naruto improved a lot faster, and he had enough control over his element to slice through the leaves each time.

But Naruto partly wondered if they were even following Orochimaru's trail anymore. It had been two weeks since they left Konoha and visited the first base, and there had not been any sign of Orochimaru or Akatsuki since then.

It didn't make any sense! As they were getting closer and closer to the center of the snake's activities, they should have heard a lot more by now. They should have _seen_ him by now.

This town was large for the area, probably even larger Otogakure itself. That made Jiraiya's disappearance for the evening even more suspicious. And after all that fuss he made about Naruto not going off on his own.

Enough was enough. Naruto threw down the barely readable scrawlings and poked his head into the hallway.

The coast was clear. Naruto trotted out the hall, down the stairs, and into the street. He was not really sure what he was looking for, but watching and listening for himself felt a lot more appealing right now than looking up words or slicing leaves.

Unsurprisingly, they were staying close to the bars and gambling dens. It was a major tourist attraction, and the street was wide and colorful. There were a lot of people milling around, even in the early afternoon. Naruto walked down the line, trying to look casual as he glanced into opened doors. He ducked out of sight as a pair of women stepped out right in front of him.

Pressed between two buildings as the women walked the other way, Naruto thought he heard one of them say _Jiraiya-sama_. His face fell into a skeptical scowl and he peered around the corner. The sign outside the shop read _11.11 - Singles' Day Special!_

The double doors were still open. He glanced back and forth and slipped into the shop.

He wasn't really surprised at what he saw. Jiraiya was surrounded by a gaggle of women listening interestedly as he talked and laughed, spinning his stories.

Naruto stomped in, wanting to both yell in exasperation and laugh at the sheer familiarity of the scene.

"Oi," he said loudly. "Just what do you think you're doing when you're supposed to be looking for where we need to go?"

"Awww, what a cute little boy! Is he your grandson, Jiraiya-sama?"

"Bahaha! In a manner of speaking, I suppose. Don't underestimate him too much, though. He's a fine shinobi in his own right."

Naruto's face turned bright red. "I-I thought you said we were supposed to be undercover?" The admonition didn't come out as sternly as he meant for it to.

"That's true—most of the time. When I knew we were heading up to this town, I couldn't pass up the chance to cash in on my loyalty rewards," Jiraiya said.

One of the women squealed and started clapping as a man brought a dish over, and the others quickly followed suit.

"Happy birthday!" a different one cheered, and pecked Jiraiya on the cheek. He guffawed and scratched the back of his head.

"…Huh?" Naruto said.

"It's on the house, sir," the host said with a bow. "Please enjoy the rest of your evening."

The dish had a small cake on it, not unlike the one Jiraiya brought Naruto when he had his own birthday in the hospital. Jiraiya cut into the cake and put a big slab on a plate before holding it out toward Naruto.

"Come on, might as well get it while it's free."

Naruto took the plate and sat down on the opposite side of the table. "Today's your birthday?"

"Yeah. Though to be honest, it's not something you get excited about celebrating when you get to be my age, you know? Though I definitely don't mind the perks."

The cake was good. Naruto ate it slowly without further protest, ignoring the knot building up in the back of his throat.

"Well, I would love to spend more time with you ladies, but I guess we had better be moving along before the usual clientele show up," Jiraiya said after Naruto had finished his plate and put it down on the table. He stood up and said his farewells to each one before leaving. Naruto hopped up from the bench and followed after him.

"So," Jiraiya started once they made it outside. "How about we do something fun for a change? Can't always be about work, even when you're on a mission to save the future. I suppose you don't want to hit up the casino, though. Too bad Tsunade isn't here."

"Can we go get some ramen?" Naruto asked, catching up to Jiraiya's longer stride.

"Che, I should have known you'd suggest that! But they'll have sake there, so I guess it's not that bad. Good place to watch people on the street, too. Let's go this way. I know of a good one down here."

They turned down a narrower street, away from the crowds and neon storefronts. Naruto looked around in fascination as they emerged onto a street that was nearly as busy, but not as flashy. He made sure to keep in step this time.

"So," Jiraiya said again, with a wry smile. "In the future, something bad happens to me, doesn't it?"

Naruto froze mid step. "What—how did you—"

"It's written all over your face, gaki. You're not as subtle as you think you are."

Naruto looked down at the ground as Jiraiya turned toward him. He had no idea what to say. 'Sorry' didn't really cover it, and the last thing he wanted to do now was explain how it all happened.

"Well, that figures. Come on, let's go get that ramen."

Jiraiya motioned for him to keep walking. Naruto looked up, and he made his feet move. He tried to think of the right words to say, the right assurances.

But Jiraiya didn't say anything else about the topic all the way to the shop. He didn't ask.

* * *

A jaggy, rugged cliff face jutted over the sea. The opening in the side of it was so well concealed that the only way it could be seen was from a certain spot on the beach; and then, only when the tide was down at exactly the right level.

It could easily be mistaken as a natural feature of the landscape. Most people passing by would never notice it. Sasuke was standing there, though, and the paleness of his face and clothes stood out against the dark gray rock.

And again, Naruto tried to yell out for him, to get him to look over. But again, he was not able to make a sound.

The ocean lapped at the shore and came forward in a rush, warm water and sea foam slipping over his feet. The tide was rising.

Naruto woke quickly, as if he was coming out of a trance rather than a deep sleep. He got out of bed and walked distractedly over to the wash basin to wash his face.

They had already been in this town several days. Where were they supposed to go next? Directly back into Otogakure? They went there a week ago and found nothing.

 _Sasuke._

Always far away. Always out of reach. Even when asleep, it was hard not to be discouraged.

They started off on a road that, if they followed it all the way to the end, would take them to Yugakure. They had already looked at all the bases Jiraiya knew of in Oto. But before they went somewhere else to look, he wanted to check one last time with an informant who lived just outside the border between Oto and the Land of Hot Water.

"I'm starting to think we may have to retrace our steps and head further east, after all," Jiraiya said as they set down the road out of town. "I know of at least one big hideout that way, and who knows how many smaller ones. It would be a good place for Orochimaru to hide. There is a lot of transport and commerce on the sea between the lands of Fire, Lightning, and Water. Not to mention any number of islands that don't appear on any map. Of course, that's also what makes it the best fighting ground for the Kirigakure missing-nin. Kiri always dominated that area during the wars."

"Do you think Orochimaru has something to do with them? The Kiri rebels?" Naruto asked.

"I really hope not. That's just what we need. I've known him to recruit missing-nin from other lands to join his village. But I don't think these particular missing-nin are fighting to find some place else to live, you know?"

Naruto nodded. "Like Haku and Zabuza. They were tying to fight against the Mizukage, too."

And yet, despite all the conflict going on, that man had shown up in Konoha. That single fact kept resurfacing, along with a nagging sense that something was off. It felt important, and dangerous, but Naruto couldn't remember hearing a single thing about this Kiri conflict in the future. Had it not mattered enough?

"Why would Baa-chan let a guy like that into the village?" he murmured.

Jiraiya shrugged. "Technically, all five Kage are allowed to send a representative or come in person to make their case with the exam organizers, regardless of where the meeting is being held. It's part of the treaty that established the Cooperative International Genin Promotion Procedure—try saying that five times fast."

"Yeah, but…"

"Even if he had some other motive, he chose a weird way to go about it. You might have been just waiters, but there were much higher-ranking shinobi providing security behind the scenes. They were watching Yagura and his people."

"He looked at me," Naruto said. He was significantly more creeped out by that fact now that he had a fuller understanding of who the Mizukage was. "I mean, not just by accident. Like he knew who I was. I dunno. Maybe I just imagined it."

But he didn't think he did imagine it. Naruto knew the difference between the look of someone who knew what he held inside of him, versus someone who didn't. Even though he hadn't understood why until he became a ninja, it was one of the first things he ever learned.

And even more recently, he'd learned what his burden meant to Konoha and other villages.

Jiraiya paused, thinking it over.

"It's not officially confirmed one way or the other, but we're pretty sure Yagura is host to the three-tailed beast. It's possible he was able to recognize the Kyuubi because of that."

"What?" Naruto snapped his head around to look at Jiraiya. That was definitely not what he had expected.

' _Is… that true, Kurama?'_ he added silently.

 _Who knows?_ _It's hard to imagine them being on good enough terms for the Sanbi to say anything. But maybe that weakling is soft enough._

' _So you're saying he_ _ **does**_ _have it?'_

"All the better that we've been traveling around," Jiraiya was still talking, unaware of Naruto's silent conversation. "The only good part of it is Yagura should be too preoccupied containing the rebels to worry about us. He has no choice but to deal with them now that they've set fire to several small towns along the coast. I just hope it can be resolved in a way that leaves their village better off than it was before."

Naruto looked up absentmindedly as a breeze rustled the tops of the trees along their path. He felt vaguely confused. Maybe it was all resolved years before he arrived in the future—or had something gone wrong with the cause and effect of this time line? Was there any way to know the difference?

"Does Orochimaru have any bases on the sea? Like inside a cliff, or something?" Naruto asked aloud.

"That doesn't sound like any of the ones I know. But maybe. Why do you ask?"

"Uhh." Naruto shook his head. "I don't know. I just keep dreaming that Sasuke is in a place like that. And one time, in a place where there was a lot of smoke. When you mentioned fires on the coast again, it made me think of that."

"That's strange. Are you sure you don't know anything about it?"

Naruto kept staring up at the treetops, his face growing more and more scrunched.

"The first time was after we went to Orochimaru's base, back when we were still on the coast."

It dawned on him very slowly; the sequence of events were starting to make more sense. Maybe… but no. It couldn't be. Could it?

"What is it?" Jiraiya said, noticing the look on his face.

"I'm an idiot!" Naruto burst out suddenly, starting to run. His shout made one or two birds take off in startled flight. "I kept thinking I was just dreaming all that, but it was real! I bet it was Itachi! Itachi showed me where Sasuke was, and I didn't even realize it!"

"Eh—are you sure about that?" Jiraiya called, catching up to him in a second.

"Yeah!" Excitement made Naruto run even faster. "It happened after I asked Itachi if he knew where they went. I kept telling him that I was trying to find Sasuke, and I thought he wasn't listening to me, but it had to be him! Whatever else he said or did, he still gave me some information!" He looked over his shoulder to grin at Jiraiya's skeptical look. "I bet he never was happy about Sasuke getting manipulated by Orochimaru. If we go to that place and Sasuke really is there, that means there's a good chance we can still get Itachi to be on our side!"

"Wait, Naruto. Slow down for a minute."

"We gotta hurry and get to the coast! What if they decide to leave soon? We've already wasted a ton of time."

"We still don't know the exact location of this place."

"I'll know it when I see it."

"Naruto, I said _wait_."

Very reluctantly, Naruto slowed to a walking pace again. But he scowled up at Jiraiya as he did, staring at him with a 'this had better be good' expression.

"Listen," Jiraiya said. "I think you're reaching a bit here. But say you're right, and Itachi found a way to help you without blowing his cover. You don't know his intentions were good. Someday, somehow, he will likely be ordered to capture you again. He could just as easily take advantage of your search for Sasuke to lure you into a trap."

"I trust Itachi," Naruto said stubbornly. "You said it yourself, right? He had the chance to capture me right then and didn't do it."

"And what if it wasn't him?" Jiraiya gave a long sigh. "We'll go look for this place, since it's the closest thing to a clue we have right now. I'm just saying that we can't forget to be careful when it comes to Akatsuki. Don't let your personal feelings blind you to the point where you act recklessly."

"I won't," Naruto said, but it lacked the defensiveness he'd had just a moment ago. "Come on, you know the fastest way to get there, right? Where's the closest town that had a fire? We can start with those."

* * *

This was it.

The closer they got to the rocky outcrop over the sea, the more certain Naruto became that this was the right place. Everything felt familiar in a strange, déjà-vu kind of way.

The sea echoed through the rocks. The land above the cliffs was burned. Ugly charred stripes ripped across fields of gently swaying white flowers. The vision of smoke, the cliffs—it was all this place.

"The missing-nin definitely came through here," Jiraiya said. "I just hope Orochimaru has nothing to do with them."

Naruto looked down at the small strip of sand below. It was exactly how he had imagined it. A hidden little beach, periodically covered with water. The entrance to the base should be visible from there.

He jumped down toward the water without any fear. He subconsciously knew it would be shallow enough to stand in right now, and there was no time to waste.

"Naruto, watch out!"

The space underneath him shimmered, and a youthful face appeared out of a reflective disk that had been invisible just a second ago. Naruto pulled out a kunai at the last moment and clashed against a flower-shaped staff.

Naruto landed in warm, ankle deep water, his hands already forming the sign for his kage bunshin jutsu. A multitude of clones appeared and he stepped back, hiding himself among them in an instant.

But no one rose to the position of Kage without being able to see through deception.

The water at Naruto's feet sprang to life, attempting to wind itself around his legs like some fast-growing vine. Several of his clones tried to pull him free, but they weren't quick enough to catch him before the water took hold of his legs.

It quickly crawled up his torso. Soon it was up to his neck, and all he could do was take an extra-large breath of air before it completely imprisoned him.

Naruto was suspended in a round capsule of water, barely able to move. He just managed to look over his shoulder to see the Yagura-water-bunshin that was holding him captive, and the little plumes of vapor as his own bunshin disappeared.

 _Why is the Mizukage here?_

"What a surprise," Yagura said, walking around his water-bunshin to examine Naruto. "I came to hunt a snake, but I found a fox instead."

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The Water's Shadow, will post June 29. See you then!**


	5. The Water's Shadow

**(posted 6/29/17)**

 **CHAPTER 5 | The Water's Shadow**

 **The** Mizukage's voice was distorted through the jutsu. Naruto tried to yell a few choice curses at him, but all that came out was a large bubble, accomplishing nothing but wasted air.

Yagura laughed, making him look even younger than he already did.

"I doubt you're alone. Where is Jiraiya? Or have you run away to put yourself in danger again?"

This was the same jutsu Zabuza once used on Kakashi. Naruto stopped struggling. Just like with the trap in Orochimaru's base, the only real hope for breaking out of here was Sage Mode. But the Mizukage was right, too. Jiraiya should be ready to strike at any moment. Was he trying to give Naruto a chance to defend himself?

He stayed still, but it was hard to concentrate without being able to breathe. Breathing was usually the first step he took to get centered enough to sense the ambient energy.

Not to mention it was also necessary for living.

Naruto closed his eyes and tried to focus.

"Giving up already, Kyuubi?"

Now would have been a good time for that artificial body he'd had in the future. Naruto's lungs grew more insistent as the seconds passed. His chest tightened as they struggled to inhale against his will. He managed not to breathe any water in, but dizzying alarm bells were going off in his head, and it was impossible to think about anything else. A sputtering cough escaped, expelling what little air was left.

Rapid needle strikes rained down from above, and Yagura jumped back to avoid them. The bunshin and bubble of water fell apart, leaving Naruto gasping as he stumbled and regained his footing.

"Hey, you alright?" Jiraiya looked back at him before turning to Yagura, who had his hand up in a half-ram seal with the barest of smiles.

"I knew you had to be somewhere nearby, Jiraiya-sama. I suppose this confirms it was Orochimaru who somehow stole the Kyuubi temporarily—but why would you bring the boy along after all that? Konoha really is careless with their bijuu."

"He knows." Naruto coughed into the back of his hand. "I don't know how, but he knows about everything we've been doing. Or at least what happened with Itachi."

"Perceptive. I'm surprised," Yagura said.

"Heh." Naruto was breathing hard, but he managed a grin. "It's easy when you underestimate me so much. Besides, I've learned the hard way not to take guys like you at face value. So why are you—"

Naruto's words were drowned out by an explosion overhead. He jumped to the side as chunks of the cliff face fell down where they were standing. Yagura was forced back away from them, looking up with a vague expression of annoyance.

Jiraiya grabbed Naruto by the back of his jacket and hauled him halfway up the side of the cliff before he had a chance to react.

"Oi—"

Naruto skidded on the rocks as he was deposited on a ledge behind a massive boulder. Jiraiya jumped down beside him and peeked over the side of the ledge.

"Quiet," he said. "We'll be close enough to hear, but they might hear us too if we're not careful."

"What are you—"

"Shh!"

Across from them and slightly higher up, an enormous snake emerged, uncoiled, then slithered down into the cove where Yagura was. Orochimaru stood on its head with easy confidence.

"Now, this is unusual. Why would the Mizukage come all the way here in person to see me?"

"Because I would like to know what you did to the Kyuubi," Yagura said calmly, crossing his arms. "And why you seem intent on helping the Rokubi hide."

Naruto was about to yell out at Orochimaru, but Jiraiya held him back and shushed him. Naruto didn't say anything, but it was incredibly difficult not to go rushing in demanding to know where Sasuke was right now.

The only thing that could distract him was how bizarre all this was. Had the Mizukage really been watching him all this time? If so, why? What did he have to do with anything?

Orochimaru jumped down from the snake's head into the shallow water. "The fact that you're asking means the Mizukage is working for Akatsuki, and Akatsuki did not make the Kyuubi disappear. And of course, knowing that they were not responsible, I would be the next person they suspect. What an honor."

Yagura narrowed his cold pink eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about. I suspect you because of your blatant involvement in the rebellion, and your former connection with Akatsuki. With a bijuu under your control, you could seriously affect the balance of power between the five great lands, and disrupt Akatsuki on top of that."

"It wasn't me. You're just grasping at any explanation you can think of, because you're afraid of a complication you can't control. Right, Yagura-sama? Or should I call you Madara, as you prefer?"

Naruto froze. Did he say _Madara?_

Yagura just stared blankly in response to this puzzling accusation. But even as he stood still, someone else stepped up behind him. The taller figure appeared from nothing, as if it was made out of shadows. A black coat. A spiral orange mask.

Naruto covered his own mouth to stifle an involuntary hiss.

It was Obito. But not the one he considered a friend.

"Orochimaru," Obito said, managing to fit a lot of hatred into that one word. "I know it was your interference that led to the burnings. You have been actively thwarting our search for the Rokubi. You already made an attempt on the Kyuubi. If you continue to interfere with us, you know what will happen to you."

Orochimaru gave a sly smile. "I wonder what would happen if the rebels knew they were working for the very person they are fighting against. As for the Kyuubi, that was not me. But now you have me wanting to know the answer, too. So that is why the Mizukage went to Konoha and left his homeland open to the threat of unrest. Were you able to learn anything from its lifeless shell of a host?"

"If that's really what you think, you're slipping."

Naruto was done hiding behind a rock listening to his enemies snark at one another. He glanced aside at Jiraiya before climbing over the rock.

"Wh—Naruto!"

Naruto jumped and landed between Orochimaru and Yagura with a small splash.

"I'm not a lifeless shell," he said, eyes narrowed at Orochimaru. "Now tell me where Sasuke is!"

The only sign of Orochimaru's surprise was a slight pause as he looked over Naruto, then to Yagura and the masked man behind him.

"You _idiot!_ " Jiraiya appeared and hit him on the head, erasing Naruto's stern expression. "Can't you sense what the situation is like here? And you just go running into a conversation between dangerous S-class nin!"

No one said anything for a second. Jiraiya looked from one side to the other, tense and cautious. The Mizukage's face was eerily blank. Unsurprisingly, Orochimaru's expression held an undercurrent of amusement at the odd standoff.

"This is getting nowhere," Obito said. Naruto turned to face him, poised to fight. "Apparently I was wrong about the cause, after all. But since you're here, _you_ can help answer my questions."

An unexpected feeling of revulsion rose up in Naruto's chest. The fact that he'd gotten to know Obito as a kid somehow made it worse. This man had not only betrayed his friends and village, but himself.

And he loved making other people doubt their beliefs, too. He did it repeatedly in the future. He used their fears, pains, and losses against them. He wanted to make everyone else betray themselves the way he had.

Jiraiya held a protective hand in front of Naruto, but he stepped around it.

"What? You're worried because there might be someone else going after the Kyuubi?" Naruto said loudly. "Kinda sad it could be so easy for someone to mess up your plan, isn't it? Take out a bijuu and it all falls apart."

Naruto could not see the man's face underneath the mask, but he could guess from the way he stood completely still that this was not what he had expected. It felt good to have the upper hand for once. To be the one that knew everything. To not have the bad guys constantly be one step ahead of him.

And then Obito lunged. Naruto's triumph evaporated as he stepped backward involuntarily. He recognized the wrinkling of the air within a split second. He dodged the hand that reached out for him. And then—

 _Poof!_

Naruto stumbled, bumped into something solid and cloth, then fell back on his rear. He blinked. The floor underneath him was swaying at a frantic pace. Jiraiya was standing in front of him; it was the broad back of his haori that Naruto had stumbled into.

They were inside the transport toad?

"Wait! We still haven't found Sasuke!" Naruto protested.

"It's too dangerous to try to take on Orochimaru and Madara at the same time," Jiraiya said. He turned to look down at Naruto, frowning. "You know, I can take you back to Konoha. In fact, I'll be seriously thinking about it soon if you don't do something about your behavior."

Naruto had been ready to argue for them to go back to the base, but Jiraiya's words were like a dash of cold water.

"Do you think you're immortal just because you know some things?" Jiraiya said. He didn't sound angry. Just serious. "Do you think you can just do whatever you want? I brought you along on this trip because I thought you wanted to stop Orochimaru from developing a dangerous jutsu, and rescue Sasuke. If you're here to get back at everyone that ever wronged you, I don't mind sending you home until you grow up some more."

Naruto looked down, defensive retorts shriveling up inside his throat. It was far from the first time he'd ever been scolded like this. Iruka certainly wasn't shy about it, even these days. But for some reason, hearing it from Jiraiya felt a million times worse.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Jiraiya gave a sigh and sat down on the soft floor. "Geez. You really are the only genin in existence who would get disappointed over running from a handful of S-rank shinobi. It looks like Madara has even got the Mizukage under his control. I thought all we'd have to do once we got here was stall Orochimaru long enough for you to get Sasuke out of there. Should have known there was something else going on."

"What was he talking about? With the Rokubi?"

"I'm not completely sure. But if Madara has convinced the Kiri missing-nin to work for Akatsuki, that means he's been playing both sides."

"Do… do you think Orochimaru is gonna leave that place after this?"

"I think that's likely, unless they end up destroying each other. We'll just have to—"

Suddenly the floor bucked wildly, and Naruto was sent flying into the fleshy wall yet again. His head stuck in it up to his shoulders and he pulled himself out with a disgusting _schloop_ noise.

"Now what the hell is—"

There was another poof of smoke, and Naruto rolled out onto the charred, rocky earth above the cliff face. Jiraiya was dumped out right alongside him. Their cover was gone.

"Jiraiya," Orochimaru said delightedly. "You must have come here for a reason, too. Why don't you stay and tell us what it is?"

The large snake rose its head up lazily behind him, tongue flickering out periodically. But it hissed and attacked to their right when Obito's form emerged there out of the ground. Orochimaru turned and spit out a barrage of snakes as a wave of fire descended toward him.

Jiraiya didn't miss the chance to act while their enemies were distracted. He turned and pushed Naruto back. Naruto stumbled, not for the first time, all the way off the side of a cliff.

Fortunately, this one wasn't nearly as tall as the others he'd fallen down. He scrabbled against the crumbling cliff face and slid down to the soft sand just in time for the rising tide to woosh up and slap him in the mouth.

"Damn it!"

Spitting salt water, Naruto quickly got to his feet and looked up to the cliff edge. His heart thumped wildly at the sound of another explosion up above. Jiraiya was still up there! Was he fighting them? Or were Obito and Orochimaru fighting each other?

Movement caught Naruto's eye. The nearby entrance to Orochimaru's base was still visible. Kabuto was standing there, staring up at the source of the commotion. He frowned, then turned and walked back into the base. Was he about to join in what was happening?

 _Sasuke_.

If Kabuto went outside, there might be no one around Sasuke.

But… Naruto didn't want to leave his shishou here alone.

What could he do against the older Obito and Orochimaru?

Jiraiya would know to escape if things got too bad, right?

If he didn't go after Sasuke now, there might not be another chance for years.

Naruto clenched his fists and ran for the lair's entrance, the sand and sea water pulling at his legs. The way in would be covered in just a matter of minutes. Once that happened, could he find another way out?

He climbed up into the entrance, cold hands grabbing at the rocks and pulling himself forward. His shallow breath echoed around the cavern beyond. Kabuto was nowhere to be seen.

Water was left in puddles on the cavern floor. A stone staircase led up to a door, unlocked. Naruto kept his senses alert for any sign of traps, but everything was still and quiet. The hall beyond looked hewn from the rock; round, with a low ceiling.

He kept moving, afraid of what might happen if he stopped or looked back. The cave-like tunnel abruptly transitioned into a rectangular stone hallway, designed much like the other bases they visited. If this one was like the others, the living spaces would be further down.

Naruto started running again, the wall lamps casting bright patches every few steps. There was no time to be cautious.

Thankfully, the level below looked similar to the living quarters of the others. He knew there would be many more rooms than necessary—but Sasuke's was bound to be one of them.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto burst in to—an empty room. He turned and dashed to the next one, then the next one, unconcerned about stealth, just trying to look through all the rooms as quickly as possible.

And all the while there was a nagging voice a little like his own, and a little like Kurama's. _This is a waste of time, idiot!_

The hallway ended at an intersection, and Naruto finally stopped. The rows of doors continued up ahead. The halls to the left and right were empty.

Maybe he was completely wrong.

Maybe Sasuke wasn't here. Maybe he had already been taken over by Orochimaru.

No! Naruto had seen Sasuke in the visions Itachi gave him, right? Itachi wouldn't let something like that happen.

But what if he was wrong about that, too? He just assumed what Itachi showed him was the truth. He assumed it was Itachi who did it.

The urge to keep running and never stop was almost overwhelming. But he forced himself to turn and slip into the empty room at the end of the hall, closing the door behind him.

He focused on Sage Mode.

Naruto couldn't sense anything outside of the base. The fight up above, and the world beyond were blocked off by Orochimaru's security seals. Just like always. But the _inside_ was clear.

There was very little inside the base to notice. There was a faint hint of life energy from what felt like far below. But that was immediately disregarded the moment Naruto felt the presence of someone much nearer by.

It was just one floor below this one. A spike of electric energy flashed into Naruto's mind, disrupting the strange colors of his Sage Mode sense for just a second before the scattered image came back into focus. A familiar silhouette. Sasuke stood from a stance, examining the far targets impassively. Naruto couldn't sense Kabuto, which meant he was probably outside.

He stood up in the easy, fluid way afforded to him by Sage Mode and slipped out into the hall. The time to get down there felt like nothing.

Then Naruto was at the door.

He barely noticed the large training room, far-off targets on one end and a whole arsenal of weapons on the other. Sasuke was still looking at the target, a kunai held loosely in his hand as he thought about the next throw. The strangest thing about the moment was how ordinary it looked. This was the Sasuke he knew.

It wasn't too late.

"Took you long enough," Sasuke said. "I hope it was something worth interrupting our training for."

When no answer came, Sasuke turned around. The impatience in his face dissolved into confusion. They stared at each other in silence.

"It's the frog look, isn't it?" Naruto said, holding up a webbed hand. "This is the best I can do right now, but it'll be way cooler once I get it fully mastered."

"Naruto?" Then Sasuke shook his head sharply, as if disagreeing with himself. "I thought you were good as dead. What are you doing here? Don't tell me that disturbance outside was _you_."

"Yeah. Sorry about showing up late, but I came here to tell you something."

"Really."

Naruto turned his hand over and held a fist toward Sasuke. "You're coming back to the village with me 'ttebayo. Even if I have to knock some sense into your head first, or drag you back kicking and screaming, whatever it takes. So you can just go ahead and decide how you want this to go."

Sasuke stared blankly at him for several seconds more. Then he crossed his arms over his stomach and started laughing. His voice echoed around the underground room, but Naruto just stood there, waiting.

" _You?_ You, Dead Last? I don't know how you managed to get all the way here, but I have nothing to do with you anymore. I'm done playing at ninja in a place where people worry about things like who got promoted or what's not allowed. You can't keep up with the world outside by staying sheltered inside your walls. I never wanted that kind of carefree life!"

Naruto lowered his hand. "Yeah, you can probably become pretty strong by staying out here. But from where I'm standing, getting power just to destroy what's left of your family seems like a stupid plan."

The fake amusement slid off of Sasuke immediately. His face flushed with anger and he took a step forward. His eyes burned red.

"What do you know? You never had a family to begin with!"

"I did." Naruto curled the hand over his chest. "Maybe I never knew them, and I don't really understand why they had to leave me. But now I have enough faith in them to think they wouldn't do that without a reason. Since you knew your family, you should know it, too."

"I don't give a damn about reasons! It doesn't change the fact that they're gone! Do you think that any kind of reason will make me feel better about it?"

Sasuke was breathing heavily. His back was hunched and his shoulders shifted strangely. Naruto could feel it, too. Sasuke's energy fluctuated dramatically. Something was happening to him.

"No. But you should get the truth about it from Itachi instead of trying to kill him—"

Sasuke leapt forward at great speed and slammed into Naruto. The momentum pushed him back to the wall, with barely the time to put up his arms to block. Heightened reflexes kept him from taking a direct hit, but the impact still hurt. Naruto stared at the truly bizarre transformation his friend had undertaken.

Sasuke's skin was gray, and his hair grew long and wild. Even now, Naruto saw some grotesque extra appendage growing out of his shoulder.

"What do you know?" Sasuke repeated, voice gravelly. "What do you know about Itachi? Why is it you? What is so damn special about you?"

Sasuke pulled his fist back and sent it down at Naruto's face with as much force as he could muster. The resulting impact sent a cracking sound echoing around the training room as the stone wall split, scattering fractures from its epicenter.

But Sasuke's darkened eyes widened when comprehension caught up with what he saw. His fist was buried in the rock, and Naruto was gone.

Sasuke jumped up as Naruto swung a leg out to knock him down. His hand was stuck in the rock; he twisted his body and adhered to the wall to avoid another strike. Lightning chakra burst from his trapped hand and the rock disintegrated.

Naruto gave a sharp intake of breath, then got annoyed with himself. There was no time to hesitate. He had to take Sasuke down before Sage Mode ran out. It was extremely risky, but he could think of only one way to accomplish that.

He made two kage bunshin. Any more than that, and he'd change back right away. The first one went running to meet Sasuke's attack. The second one started molding the energy that Naruto released from his palm, concentrating furiously.

He'd never done this before. But his older self had explained to him how it worked, after the younger pestered him enough.

 _You have to get a feel for using wind element first_ , he had said. _Plus, you need to use a Mode or you'll hurt yourself. But once you know how to make wind chakra, just start putting it into the Rasengan. Eh, what else—split up the work with bunshin. You probably won't be able to throw it at first since it's damn hard to keep it from falling apart._

It really was difficult. Naruto's bunshin focused on keeping the shape while he tried to create wind chakra, but the element was much harder to control once it came out. One bunshin on its own struggled to hold the spinning ball of energy together.

Calling another bunshin was impossible at this point. In his peripheral vision, Naruto saw the backup vanish as Sasuke slashed through it. He blinked through the second-long image of Sasuke's face and saw him closing in quickly.

A white shimmer grew around the Rasengan, a band of light that visibly thinned and grew brighter. Naruto grit his teeth and willed it to take shape.

The blue streak of Sasuke's Chidori tore through the other bunshin. It popped, and the Rasengan started to unravel. Naruto felt the last of the Natural Energy leave him as Sage Mode ran out.

Sasuke lunged at him next, baring his teeth in a grin. But the expelled wind chakra didn't simply disappear. It was spinning at a high speed along a horizontal axis. When it came unbound, it lashed outward explosively with a high-pitched screech and blasted both of them backward away from the center. Point blank range.

Naruto slid on his back and rolled, searing pain radiating from all the places hit by the shockwave. The damage was invisible, save for several bloodless gashes on his right hand and arm. Naruto stared at his trembling hand and uncurled it. Only then did the gashes start to bleed.

"Sasuke—" Naruto sat up and then stumbled to his feet. Sasuke was still laying flat on his back, but after Naruto's call, he growled and got up slowly. He watched Naruto warily, a pained edge to his breathing. He was clutching his right arm, which was torn to tatters, blood running down it in rivulets.

" _What did you do?_ " he snarled.

Naruto didn't understand how Sasuke had taken more damage than him in that situation, but this could be the chance he needed. Even though Sage Mode was gone, he still had all his normal chakra reserves left. Sasuke was injured. There was still a chance to wrap this up quickly.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

Without Sage Mode to balance, he could make more clones. Two stood in between him and Sasuke. One got to work spinning a Rasengan into his battered hand.

There was a large boom from overhead that shook the room and made a test dummy fall over. Naruto and Sasuke both looked up and jumped backward as the ceiling cracked.

"What's—"

Obito appeared in front of Naruto again, a slight distortion of space the only warning. A gloved hand reached for him and Naruto shoved the Rasengan into the man's chest.

They passed through each other, neither landing their attack.

Obito turned around more quickly than Naruto. But he paused and looked to the side as a barrage of kunai pelted through him and struck the far wall.

It was Sasuke, bent forward with his good arm outstretched, eyes narrowed with fury. "Akatsuki. Don't. Do not interfere."

They stared at each other for a fraction of a moment. But it was long enough for Sasuke to catch a glimpse of the eye under the mask. His expression flashed from angry to something else—surprised, disbelieving, outraged. He quickly stood up from his stance.

There was another loud boom, and the ceiling collapsed inward. Naruto dodged falling rocks and tried frantically to scrabble over to where Sasuke was. Obito followed after him, phasing through debris.

Then the giant snake dropped down through the new gaping hole in the top of the base, Orochimaru on its head. It opened its wide jaws, aiming its fangs at Obito. One of the fangs was already snapped halfway off.

Naruto dived and rolled behind a pile of rubble, stifling the urge to cough in the dust. He looked back and forth, but he couldn't see Sasuke anymore. He had a bad feeling. Where was Jiraiya? If Obito and Orochimaru had made it down here, then…

A chunk of rock fell down beside him and Naruto looked up to see Kabuto standing on top of the debris.

"Not you, too," Naruto groaned. "Maybe you're not the same one, but I really need more friends that don't try to kill me."

"Friends? I didn't realize you thought of me that way, Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked further up into the wide opening, worry creeping in. Once again, he was torn between running to find Sasuke or going to help Jiraiya. But this time, the fear of losing Jiraiya was stronger.

"I don't have time to deal with you!"

Naruto jumped up and latched onto the stone surface of the opening. It started crumbling under his grip and he pushed away, bouncing from one side of the hole to the other, rising ever higher. It went several meters through rock and dirt. Naruto made it to the outside and rolled onto the charred surface.

He quickly got to his feet. But everything reverted to slow motion when he saw Jiraiya laying on the ground.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The Moon's Eye will post July 6.**


	6. The Moon's Eye

**(posted 7/6/17)**

 **CHAPTER 6 | The Moon's Eye**

 **"** _ **Ero** -sennin!_"

Naruto ran to him. The distance felt so long when his body was suddenly so heavy.

"Ero-sennin…"

Naruto put his hands on the blood stain slowly seeping through Jiraiya's haori. His breath came out in shallow rasps, sounding strange and distant in his own ears. He turned Jiraiya over a little bit, enough to see the broken fang protruding from his abdomen. A snake fang.

 _Poison._

"Oi, wake up! Come on!"

Jiraiya's eyelids moved, and they opened slightly to look up at him before closing again. The simple movement made Naruto choke with relief.

"Come on, get up, we need to—"

"I doubt he'll be able to move after that, Kyuubi. And you've left your back wide open."

Naruto turned around quickly and saw Yagura standing a few paces away, staring down at them with his flat, expressionless eyes.

Naruto slung Jiraiya's arm over his shoulders and stood up, unbalanced by his shishou's greater weight and height.

Obito rose up through the ground to Naruto's left, blocking that way. Now the only options were the cliff and the giant hole.

"Give up. There's nowhere for you to run."

 _Shit._

It was all up to him now.

 _You could use my power to escape. It would be fun to wipe them all out._

' _Argh, be quiet! I'm trying to think.'_

Naruto looked at the gashes on his hand again. He didn't want to rely on Kurama's power too much, even though they were on better terms than before. Overuse would still make his seal come undone faster. The future version of Kakashi had warned him against that.

 _You were willing to completely remove it before. Why not now?_

Naruto raised his hand up in the air. Concentrate. Remember what it felt like last time.

' _Just a little is more than enough!'_

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

When Naruto slammed his hand down, the resulting plume created a giant wave of air that threw dirt and ash in a wide radius. He had to hold on to Jiraiya tightly and drag him along to keep them both from slipping off. They ended up on the great Toad's head, behind his eyes.

"What is all this?" Gamabunta boomed, taking the gigantic kiseru out of his mouth.

"Boss Toad—" Naruto started, but there was another loud crack as the rock underneath Gamabunta's massive form fractured. The toad's muscles bunched and soon they were sailing up into the air. Naruto and Jiraiya were flattened to the top of his head by gravity, then were lifted up when the toad dropped into a landing. Naruto stuck to Gamabunta's head with chakra channeled to his feet, holding on tightly to Jiraiya's arm draped over his shoulders so the man wouldn't fly away.

His legs folded when they landed, and he and Jiraiya went rolling down between the toad's eyes. The momentum launched them into empty space, but Gamabunta's quick tongue wrapped around Naruto, and Jiraiya landed in the gigantic toad's hand.

"Just what have you gotten into, little brat?" Gamabunta placed Naruto back on top of his head.

A huge dragon made of water reared up to their height, its jaws opening wide. Gamabunta put the pipe back in his mouth and slashed the dragon's head off with his sword. Water scattered all over the landscape, but the head regenerated just as quickly.

"Ask later. We need to get out of here!" Naruto shouted.

"Alright, kid. Hold on to him for me."

Gamabunta carefully put Jiraiya down next to Naruto and formed a hand sign. Naruto turned to face the water dragon with a hard glare as it made another rapid dive toward them.

They disappeared in a cloud of vapor.

* * *

It took less than a minute for Gamabunta to bring them to Fukasaku and Shima's house. The Boss was confident no one would be able to trace their whereabouts, but he'd keep a watch out, just in case. He said something about the reflection pool and left.

After that there was just waiting, for what felt like forever. The old toads' home was too small for more than one human, especially when one of those humans was Jiraiya-sized. Naruto sat outside, staring at the ground with his bandaged arms crossed.

"So you had Akatsuki, Orochimaru, _and_ the Mizukage after you all at the same time?" Gamakichi said with a whistle. "I can't believe you made it out as well as you did."

"Mmn," Naruto responded.

Shima opened the front door and Naruto stood from the toadstool he had been sitting on.

"There you are, Naruto-chan," she said. "They were finally able to get that fang out. Luckily, it missed any vital spots, but the poison sure did a number on him. Tsk! I haven't seen Jiraiya-chan this bad off since the war. I wish he and Orochimaru didn't have to fight like this all the time. They used to get along better. Oh, there are some things I'd like to say to that—"

"Are you sure we don't need to call Tsunade-baachan?"

"I would like to, but Jiraiya said not to do it unless it's necessary to save his life. The paralyzing effects have worn off, at least. You can come inside, if you want. The medics are leaving."

Naruto followed Shima inside, pressing himself against the wall to let the two medics pass. They were as small as Shima herself, and their skin was a light, poisonous blue.

They went into the back bedroom, where all the sparse furnishings were pushed against the opposite wall. Jiraiya looked like a giant, half-sitting on a bed made of equally huge leaves that came from outside. The medics had bandaged him up, and he was drinking something out of a small, flat bowl.

"Naruto-chan." Fukasaku walked over, looking concerned. "How are your injuries?"

"I'm fine, those guys fixed me up. It doesn't hurt at all." Naruto held out his bandaged arms.

"Toad medics aren't quite on the same level as the Slugs, but they're different from what you humans have. They use a type of senjutsu, rather than ninjutsu. But the attack that caused that… I'd say you should avoid it from now on. It could permanently damage your chakra network if you rely on it too much."

"I know there's a right way to do it. I just have to figure it out." Naruto looked over at Jiraiya.

A slow smile grew on the Jiraiya's face, transforming into his characteristic wide grin. "What? I guess you _did_ manage to show me up back there. To be honest, I'm glad." He put the empty bowl down on the floor beside him. "You were able to act on your own, and it didn't completely end in disaster."

Naruto felt a stab of guilt. "But if I hadn't gone in there—"

"Anyway," Jiraiya interrupted, "they want me to get looked at by humans just to be sure, so we'll be staying at the base of the mountain for a little while. There is a place down there I spent a lot of time at when I was in training, and I still know some of the people there."

* * *

They made it to the small human settlement at the base of the mountain. There were no large towns close to it, but there were numerous resorts that were all in good standing with the Toads. Despite his injuries, Jiraiya was energetic enough to insist they go stay at a particular onsen he knew.

"The old hostess there is kinda strict, and doesn't like kids much. But the springs here are the best in the world!" he said. "I'll heal twice as fast there as anywhere else."

On the mountain, they would be hidden and far from Orochimaru's base. It was safe. The trade-off was they would almost certainly lose their trail.

Naruto didn't have any more dreams to show him where to find Sasuke.

While Jiraiya healed, Naruto spent most of his time training. He wanted to figure out how to use the _fuuton_ Rasengan, so he spent a lot of time practicing his element. He also started learning Frog Kumite, the martial art style developed for use in conjunction with Sage Mode.

He tried to throw himself into training with the same enthusiasm as always. It wouldn't be right to complain after escaping with their lives, but what they had run away from was hard to stomach.

"Naruto-chan, look."

In truth, he would rather be out trying to find Sasuke and Orochimaru again. Jiraiya spent a lot of time poring over the scrolls and notes he had stolen, but neither of them really expected to find any clues about Orochimaru's location from that.

"Naruto-chan."

"Wha?" Naruto blinked and sat up, making a bird that had settled in his hair fly away. He'd been laying back on the grass, using his senses to reach out as far as possible. The immediate surroundings had simply melted away.

"Look at your hands," Fukasaku said.

Naruto did. But they seemed completely normal.

"Er… is this supposed to be some kind of training riddle?"

"Your transformation isn't as toad-like. You can tell it in your face, too."

" _What?_ " Naruto took the small mirror held out to him and turned his head back and forth eagerly to look. His face was definitely less puffy than usual. His eyes were still weirdly globular with slightly flat blue irises, rather than the gold-and-orange appearance his older self's Sage Mode had. But that was the only difference.

"Using the clones has helped," Fukasaku said. "And I think your element training has taught you better control. But most of all is the sheer amount of practice time you've put in."

"I've been searching for Sasuke and Orochimaru each time," Naruto admitted, handing back the mirror. "Ero-sennin thinks it won't work, though. Orochimaru probably knows I have it now."

"Ah, yes. But I've seen you laying back like that before. Can you go into Sage Mode when you're like that?"

"Yeah? I guess it's not proper or whatever. But it's more comfortable, sorry, Sennin jii-chan."

"That's not what I mean." Fukasaku waved his froggy hand. "It is an… interesting technique, but there's a reason posture is important. Most people need optimal stillness and balance to use it. That's why Jiraiya-chan needs us to help him gather energy in battle."

"I've had to use it in a lot of weird situations already." Naruto blinked as his extra senses disappeared. The Mode ran out. "I'm definitely getting more time with it now. But I'd like to activate it quicker."

Fukasaku nodded. "We can't help you because of the Kyuubi, but there could be other ways to make it easier to use in battle. Having a clone in reserve is a good idea, for starters. But if you can gather energy laying down, let's see what else you can do. Try standing there."

* * *

They tested all kinds of situations for him to use Sage Mode: standing (success), standing on one foot (success, until he lost balance) and even running (still a failure). Naruto continued training his element as well, though that hit a plateau frustratingly quickly. He could expel some wind chakra, but couldn't figure out how to integrate it into his Rasengan the way his older self did.

It continued this way for three whole weeks. November turned into December. There was no news, nothing to break this new 'wait and see' routine. Nothing exciting to diminish the feeling they had missed their one and only chance.

Until the night Naruto woke from the worst combination of factors—a cold room and a full bladder.

He rolled on to his side to squint in annoyance at the bright sliver of moon through the slightly open door. The gentle draft from outside was making the entire room freeze.

Jiraiya was snoring loudly across the room, sprawling feet hanging off his futon like a an overgrown kid. Didn't anything ever wake him up? He must have gotten up earlier and forgot to close the door all the way. Naruto muttered curses into his pillow for a moment before grudgingly kicking the covers off to go outside.

It was bright enough that Naruto didn't need a light as he stepped out blearily onto the veranda to find a toilet. He tucked his hands into sleeves and crossed his arms tightly, wistfully considering relieving himself right off the porch. The yukata provided by the inn wasn't very warm. But if that old bat of a hostess caught him, there'd be a whole day's worth of chores to look forward to instead of training.

So Naruto made the long trek to the bathroom, mumbling complaints under his breath the whole way. If Jiraiya bothered to spend money on things besides clubs and casinos, they could have gotten a room with its own toilet.

Fortunately, the journey wasn't that difficult. He blinked slowly at the moon through the window slats of the bathroom as he half-consciously washed his hands, then shuffled back out onto the porch.

Naruto made it halfway back to the room before a silent movement over the courtyard caught his eye. Small flakes drifted down and caught the moonlight at glittering intervals. It was snowing for the first time that year.

Despite the cold, Naruto stood still a minute more to watch it fall. It was just a small thing, a normal part of the changing seasons. But it felt more special after all those months in another time, not knowing if he'd ever see this world again.

Was it also snowing in Konoha? What about wherever Sasuke was?

Their world didn't seem as vast as it once did. In the same timeline, there would always be a chance to reach. That was why—

The sound of a door sliding open right behind him on the veranda interrupted his thoughts.

Naruto jumped. He turned quickly to look at—

Nothing.

The door was simply open. There was no one standing in it. The room beyond was too dark to see anything.

 _G-guess they just wanted some fresh air!_

Naruto gave a quiet, nervous laugh to himself and continued walking at a slightly faster pace. But only because of the cold. It wasn't like there would be ghosts in a place like this. It didn't look haunted or anything. It was a healing resort, right?

But what if somebody had died here and left behind—

Naruto felt a pair of hands sneak up under his arms and pull him backward. He let out a terrified screech that was quickly muffled by a hand clamping over his mouth.

He looked up and saw himself being pulled backward through a solid wall. He simply phased through it into the darkness beyond.

It wasn't a ghost. It was something far worse than that.

Naruto sent his elbow flying backward as hard as he could. As expected, nothing made contact, but he was suddenly and unexpectedly free from Obito's grasp. Whirling around, Naruto tensed, hands at the ready. It was hard to tell where he was or what the situation was like. His eyes darted around in the darkness, searching for anything that could help to ground him.

He couldn't see the open door from here. They must have gone into a closed room.

Naruto turned to feel for a way out, and almost immediately bumped into something. A horrendous clatter filled the air as he knocked something over onto a concrete floor. Were they in the kitchen?

"What was that?" he heard someone say in the distance. A small bit of light entered the room and Naruto darted toward it.

This time, he sank right down into the floor, pulled down by his ankles.

And this time, he could feel the stretching, pulling, and wrinkling of space that meant they were about to leave this place entirely.

"Let me go!" Naruto growled. "Oi, somebody help!" He tried to kick with his foot, but it was immobilized within the attacker's grip. He struggled with the entire rest of his body until all of it was frozen, caught up inside of Obito's dimensional jutsu. But it wasn't long before movement became possible again, and he kicked his feet the second he felt they were free.

Naruto fell heavily to the ground when everything became solid again. He rolled over and jumped to his feet to see the geometric landscape of the kamui dimension spreading out endlessly in every direction.

 _Damn it!_

" _Hah—!_ Naruto-senpai! It worked!"

Naruto tensed with his hands poised in a seal, ready to make an army of bunshin—and stopped when he saw who had called him.

Just a kid, even shorter than him, with silver hair and round glasses that were too big for his face. He grinned at Naruto.

"K-Kabuto? What the—"

A burst of laughter came from behind him, and Naruto whirled around to see Obito—the _young_ Obito—nearly doubled over, holding his stomach as he laughed.

"Man, that was great!" Obito crowed. "You should see the look on your face right now! It was so worth it! Hahahaha!"

Naruto was still terribly confused, but also starting to get pissed off now that he realized he wasn't in danger. "What? Hey! Tell me what's going on here before I kick your ass."

"Obito found you," Kabuto said. "He used the anchor tag Orochimaru-sama placed within you to locate your dimension and jump into it."

"Yeah," Obito agreed.

"'Yeah' nothing!" Naruto burst out loudly at the meager explanation. "How is that even possible? I thought you couldn't use your power to get to any other dimensions. That's what the older Kakashi-sensei said. And how the hell is he here, too?" He pointed at the child version of Kabuto.

"It's kind of a long story," Obito said, crossing his arms. "Before we get to that, there's something that needs taken care of first." He paused, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, two Sharingan swirled underneath the orange goggles.

Naruto took a step back, giving him a wary look. "Eh? What thing?"

"Wait, Obito—" Kabuto started, but Obito had already moved.

Naruto's defenses were left wide open out of sheer surprise. When Obito materialized in front of him and planted a fist in his face, he was sent falling backward and skidded on the dimension's cool stone surface. He rolled and jumped to his feet again with an angry snarl, hands ready in the kage bunshin seal.

"What's your problem?" he yelled.

"Stop it, you two!" Kabuto ran between them, making a halting motion at both sides. "You're being stupid. There's no reason to fight!"

"Tell that to him! First this bastard scares me to death, then he punches me in the face! How else am I supposed to react?"

"Ha! That's some big talk, coming from you," Obito shouted back. "You couldn't take ten seconds to tell us about your plan, could you? And let me guess, you've never even thought about how it turned out for anybody else."

"Huh?" Naruto lowered his hands slightly.

Obito dropped his fists, but he still glared at Naruto. "I knew we might get separated. That we might not meet ever again. But we were supposed to beat Orochimaru and make him send us back, right? So when did you decide to take it all on yourself?" Obito took a step forward. "That's what you had in mind all along, wasn't it? Me, Minato-sensei, stupid old Kakashi—you just made us go along with what you wanted without explanation. And after all that, you still let Orochimaru win! I guess you must enjoy being his willing puppet."

"How did you… there wasn't any other choice!" Naruto burst out, dizzy from the unexpected assault and all the new information. "Our bodies weren't going to hold up forever… and Orochimaru was just gonna let you die in the war. It was the only way all three of us would come back alive! I couldn't just…"

"So much for that," Obito said with a snort. "You should have seen what happened to Kabuto."

"What?"

"He was still there." Obito narrowed his eyes, still an angry red. "You didn't help him at all. He stayed stuck in the future."

"W-Wait," Kabuto interrupted, looking back and forth between Obito's scowl and Naruto's wide-eyed expression. "It wasn't his fault or Orochimaru-sama's fault. Orochimaru-sama tried to honor their agreement and send me back home. It's just that… that…" he looked down at the ground.

"Just… what?"

"It was too late," Obito supplied flatly. "I got lucky in my own time. But I guess Kabuto's orphanage didn't have the medical resources to keep his body going, or they just didn't care enough. His real body died."

Naruto felt numb. Because his body was also vacant for so long, he understood what a toll it took. As resilient as he was, even he would have died without Tsunade's help.

"So he was stuck in the future. We left him there. But I was able to help him escape and come here," Obito said, looking aside. "You still feel like making excuses now?"

Naruto didn't have an answer for that.

"It—It wasn't his fault, Obito." Kabuto frowned. "It was probably too late before you even met me. And being here is kind of neat, actually. See?" Kabuto was obviously trying to sound cheerful. He tugged on the sleeve of Naruto's yukata and pulled him toward a setup he'd barely noticed in all the excitement.

The last time Naruto had visited the kamui dimension, it was a vast expanse that contained nothing but rectangular pillars made of something that resembled concrete or stone. But now there was a whole camp set up on one of the larger flat surfaces. There was a large canvas tent, much like the ones he had seen during the Fourth Shinobi World War. And there were crates stacked up outside of it with all kinds of items in them—mainly books, but games and knickknacks, too.

"So you're saying… you live here now?" Naruto said, slowly absorbing these bewildering facts.

Kabuto nodded. "Thanks to my current body, it's not a problem. I'm sure you remember what it's like, Naruto-senpai."

"Uh, I'm not your senpai."

"You were the first of us to cross dimensions, right?" Kabuto pushed back his glasses in a way that was very reminiscent of his older self.

"Well… yeah. Just don't call me that, it's weird." Naruto scratched his cheek and looked at the shelf of books closest to him. "I'm sorry about what happened, and about what that bastard Orochimaru did. None of this would've happened if he didn't use that jutsu in the first place. But we shouldn't have left you behind, either."

"That might not be true," Kabuto said quietly, picking up a puzzle cube and setting it back down again. "I heard everything from Orochimaru-sama, about the Time-Spanning Incarnation and how you got there. The older me is the one who really made it possible. Me and him, we both died because of what we did, that's all. But now I have the chance to be different."

"Don't talk like that, sheesh," Obito grumbled. He deactivated his Sharingan and walked over to them, looking more gruff than angry now. "If you get any gloomier you'll turn into Kakashi, and it's bad enough you already look like his little brother."

"I still don't get how you were able to find us," Naruto said. "Your older self and Kakashi-sensei made it sound like it was impossible to go anywhere but here."

Obito shook his head and sat down on an overturned crate. "It should have been impossible for me to use the same kamui as my older self, too. Him and old-Kakashi were only able to go to the same one because they had the _same_ eyes. Otherwise, this place would be full of different versions of me, right?"

"I dunno?"

"But I'm an exception. Since I used it for the first time in the future dimension, I ended up sharing with them. Permanently. Once I realized that, I decided to test jumping out on the other side—in the future—and that's when I found Kabuto. But I've only done it once. I'm not interested in getting locked up by Orochimaru again."

"Ugh. I should have known better than to ask. I'm never going to understand any of this," Naruto complained, rubbing his forehead.

"Anyway, finding you was a _lot_ more difficult, but I don't have time to explain everything right now. I can't stay gone too long without some kind of excuse. How's it going on your side of things?"

Naruto relaxed his scrunched brow. "It was too late for me to stop Sasuke from going over to Orochimaru, but me and Ero-sennin—er, Jiraiya-shishou, I mean—we were able to track them down to one of Orochimaru's bases on the coast. We ended up retreating, though. Now we have no idea where they are."

"We could help," Obito said enthusiastically. "I can get us in to any building, no problem. Or I can create a distraction so you can do whatever you need to do. And Kabuto's a great medic that we can call on anytime. If we help each other out, we'll be unstoppable."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Actually… we ran into your older self at Orochimaru's base, and that's why we had to escape. He's still trying to get all the bijuu in my timeline. Kabuto was there, too. If you guys go, we might have to fight against both of you."

"That's even more of a reason. Your timeline is the only place we can find out about our older selves."

"I agree that we should work together, Naruto-senpai," Kabuto said. "Our names all end with the same character. Besides, it's like you said: even if it looks like we can't win, we won't know if we just lay down and do nothing. I want to know."

Both of them looked at Naruto expectantly. And just then, he got an inkling of what Obito had really been trying to say.

Naruto had been incredibly relieved to make it back home. But what he left behind, though bizarre and nearly inexplicable, was not meaningless. A bond couldn't be erased by time or distance. It was beyond understanding.

"Heh. You're right." Naruto rubbed under his nose and gave a large grin. "I'll tell Ero-sennin to come up with a plan for all of us. He knows about most of the stuff that happened, so it shouldn't take too long to explain."

"Alright!" Obito hopped up from the crate. "I'll take you back, then. Let's meet up tomorrow night. I need to be getting home."

"Yeah, me too." Naruto's bathroom break had already gone on for too long.

Obito put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. Kabuto waved goodbye as the space around the two twisted and pulled them out of sight.

* * *

 **Finally, I can call them the** **ト Trio. :D (Or Team** **ト. Works with what they use in the series)**

 **Chapter 7: Greener will post July 14.**


	7. Greener

**(posted 7/14/17)**

 **CHAPTER 7 | Greener**

 **It** was quiet and dark when they made it back. Naruto's breath plumed out into the chilly air. The only thing nearby was the faint outline of a wood fence beside them, bare tree branches spilling over the top and swaying slightly in a soft breeze. Further on, he could just barely see the edges of a clean but narrow alleyway.

"Where did you drop us?" Naruto hissed in a whisper. "This doesn't look like the onsen."

"Er, I might have missed," Obito said in an undertone. "Give me a break, okay? This dimensional travel thing isn't as easy as it looks. And I was only at that place for a few seconds. It's easier to go toward somewhere familiar."

"Somewhere familiar… wait." Naruto craned his head up, but it was impossible to see anything over the tall fence. "Don't tell me we're in Konoha? How am I supposed to tell Ero-sennin what happened? Try it again. Further west."

"You try it again," Obito muttered. But he put his hand on Naruto's shoulder once more.

Several seconds passed in silence.

"Uh, Obito?"

Obito dropped his hand. "I… I can't. I think your stupid dimension broke my Kamui."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, voice growing higher in pitch.

"Not really, calm down." Obito sighed and scratched his head. "But I don't think I can use it again for a little while. Something like this happened after I went from the future timeline to my own in the same day. Man, I really need to work on that."

"When do you think you can use it again?"

"I just had to sleep it off last time. I should be able to move us to the onsen tomorrow. But what are we supposed to do until then?"

Naruto thought about it. "I guess it could be worse… at least we're in the village. I don't care if you stay over at my apartment. But what am I supposed to do about Ero-sennin? He'll think I got kidnapped by—well, you."

"You can summon the Toads, can't you?"

"Oh, duh."

Both of them froze at the sound of a slamming door in the distance, then a barking dog.

"For now, let's just get out of here," Naruto whispered. "I really don't want to have to explain this to Tsunade-baachan."

"The Slug Sannin?"

"Yeah. She's the Hokage. And now's not a good time for some unexplained person like you to show up."

They made their way carefully out of the alley and into the street. It was much darker here than at the onsen. The moon was masked by a heavy layer of dark clouds.

"Can you see where we are?" Obito asked, following behind him closely.

Naruto walked out further and looked up, twisting around to find the Monument to help orient them. There! He could just barely see the Shodai's face around the corner of a building. Judging by its position, they were…

Naruto felt a chill and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. No wonder he hadn't recognized this street immediately. This was one place people in Konoha rarely went.

"I think we're in the Uchiha district. Look," he murmured, pointing. Now that he was looking, the crest was plastered on the wall every few feet.

It made sense that Obito had been drawn to it. But this place was creepy enough in broad daylight. At a moment like this… "Let's just hurry and get out of here before someone catches us."

"And what, exactly, are you kids getting caught doing?"

They both jumped. Obito yelped, and Naruto took a startled step backward as a paper lamp flared into life right in front of them.

The lamp was held up by a man dressed in a flak vest, looking down at them with black eyes that glinted in the flickering light.

"Obito. Why am I not surprised?" The man sighed. "And who is this?" He studied Naruto with a stern frown, obviously failing to recognize him. He held the lantern out toward him and Naruto stepped back once more, away from the light.

"Oh, _no,_ " he whispered hoarsely.

"Ch-Chief!" Obito said with an edge of panic to his voice, pushing himself between Naruto and the lantern. "It's just a misunderstanding! I had a friend over, see, but he—yeah, he has a bad sleepwalking problem. I was trying to hurry up and find him before he bumped into the police."

The police chief looked over Naruto again, taking in his onsen yukata, bare feet, and complete lack of weapons. He stayed silent for almost a full minute, face made even more forbidding by the heavy shadows cast on it by the lamp.

"Alright. I'll accept your story this time, since the elders think so highly of you," he rumbled. "Get back to your home immediately. I will not be so lenient the next time. I shouldn't have to remind you that, as a shinobi, you're no longer a child. Everything you do reflects on the village and our clan." He gave Obito a look that was a mixture of pure disdain and annoyance.

"I know," Obito said sullenly.

"You've already caused enough trouble for Minato with that Kumo affair. You're fortunate the enemy isn't willing to challenge him directly. I'll be watching you to make sure there are no more incidents. You are dismissed."

Obito scowled, but he pulled Naruto along past the older Uchiha.

"You, one moment. What's your name? Rank?"

Naruto halted. "Uh, Naruto. Genin. Sir."

"Naruto-kun, is it? If you were a troublemaker, I'm sure I would have heard of you. Still, the same goes for you. Youth is no excuse in a shinobi. Do not even think about causing trouble in my town."

"I won't."

Obito was pulling him along more insistently now. Naruto followed as quickly as he could without stubbing his feet on the paving stones. He could feel the stare of the older Uchiha following them into the darkness.

Just once, it would be nice to travel to another time with his shoes on.

Neither of them dared to say anything as they walked. After what felt like an eternity, Obito stopped in front of a closed shop and slipped in through a door beside it. They climbed the stairs to a cramped landing. Obito pulled a key out from under a rug and quickly unlocked the door.

They stood in silence for a few seconds after Obito shut the door behind them.

" _I almost had a heart attack,"_ Obito wheezed, slumping back against the door and sliding down to the floor.

"How do you miss so badly that you land in a _completely different time?"_ Naruto said, clutching at his hair and pacing, full of nervous energy. His own heart was racing so much that he couldn't sit still.

"I don't know." Obito pulled off his goggles and stared up at the ceiling. "I didn't mean to. I guess… maybe I didn't have enough power left to jump back into your time, so we came here instead."

"Oh, man," Naruto said, sinking onto a chair. "I don't think that guy believed a single thing we said. I shouldn't have told him I was a genin. He'll look it up and see that I don't exist."

Obito snorted. "He could already tell you were a ninja. If you denied it, he'd know you were lying. He's the Uchiha clan head and chief of the police force, Uchiha Fugaku. He's been on my case ever since the Kumo thing."

"What Kumo thing?"

"I was captured by them. And tortured," Obito said with a shrug. "And that pisses him off even more, since I never gave away any of our secrets or jutsu. Minato-sensei even made sure I got an award for it."

" _Ehhhh?"_

"That guy's been breathing down my neck ever since then. He doesn't think a loser like me could really be a war hero."

"Wait, but when did this happen? You were _tortured?"_

Obito looked pleased by Naruto's horror, despite the situation they were in.

"Yeah, see?" He hopped to his feet and pulled up his shirt to show a large, nasty-looking pattern of burn scars that covered most of his right side. "It happened after Orochimaru brought me to the future. Luckily, I wasn't able to regain consciousness that whole time, so they gave up on me. By the time I woke up, this nice old lady had already healed me up most of the way. Not that anyone else knows that. Most people think Minato-sensei rescued me. I even got some vacation time and extra pay." He grinned.

"Wow." That was the only response Naruto could think of. "Well, what are we supposed to do now?"

"The same thing we were thinking before. Just lay low until I can take you back. Don't worry about the chief. Nobody else cares what I do, as long as I'm not doing anything to embarrass the clan."

Naruto wasn't very reassured. Jiraiya would wake up in the morning, and he would be gone. Again.

But maybe there was hope. His body wasn't left behind this time, so it might take longer before anyone knew something was wrong. By then, they could already be on their way back.

Obito walked over to a closet door and opened it. He pulled out a blanket and tossed it at Naruto.

"For now, I'm getting some sleep. The sooner the better," he said. "You can use that chair if you want, but I do have a spare futon in here. Don't eat my food." And then he turned off the light and left into another room.

Naruto didn't move from the chair. He pulled the blanket over himself and stared into the darkness. He wasn't sure he would be able to sleep.

It was silent, save for a ticking clock on the wall. It gave a tempo to the realization gradually settling over him.

What would happen in his timeline if he went missing again? He didn't even want to consider the possibility of being gone longer than a few hours.

But that wasn't the only thing keeping Naruto awake. He knew this wasn't the time to be getting distracted. But another thought had already intruded on his concerns for the future.

Somewhere, in this very village—his parents were alive. Maybe even together right now, snugly wrapped in each other's arms. Happy.

He didn't even know them. But he couldn't help wondering what it would be like to find them. To curl up and fall asleep between them like a small child.

Even if that was impossible.

* * *

Naruto woke when the sun emerged from the corner of a building across the street and beamed into his eyelids. His chin was resting on the back of the chair, face turned to the window. He opened his eyes a crack, then squeezed them closed against the light.

He turned and unfolded himself from the chair, untangling himself from the blanket in the process. His back and legs were stiff from sitting curled up in a ball for too long. It was amazing he'd slept at all.

He went over to knock on the door to Obito's room. "Oi, wake up! We need to go!"

"Ugh… okay," came the muffled response.

Naruto turned back to the window, rubbing his eyes. A dream came trickling back into his mind. Unfortunately, it was nothing that could help him figure out what to do next. Just a memory of meeting his father.

Of all the unbelievable things that had happened, that one seemed the least real. It had only lasted a minute, and they only got to exchange a few words. They were both in a world and a body they didn't belong in. His dad saved him from Orochimaru's control without removing the influence completely. He had respected the choice Naruto made to bargain for Obito and Kabuto's return.

What would he say about it now?

Naruto looked out at the bustling, living Uchiha district, then beyond at the Monument that only had three faces. He had to get home as soon as possible. But maybe later, after he explained everything to Jiraiya…

"Hey, Obito—" Naruto was about to yell after him again when Obito emerged sleepy-eyed from his room. "Finally. Are you ready? Let's get going!"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Obito yawned. He was dressed in street wear, casual pants and a T-shirt rather than his usual crested jacket and metal-plated gloves. The ever-present goggles dangled from his neck. He went into the kitchen area and started rooting around inside of a drawer.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to make up some excuse in case anybody comes by," Obito said, pulling a note pad and pen out of the drawer. He started jotting a note on the paper. "We don't have a mission today, but it could be bad if people start looking for me."

He tore off the note and placed it on the counter near the front door. Then, as if struck with a sudden thought, he tore off another blank sheet and waved it in front of Naruto.

"Hey, watch this! The old grannies and uncles love this one." Obito crumpled the paper into a ball and then hid it in between his hands. He rubbed his hands together dramatically, then opened them to show that the paper had disappeared. "Tadaa!"

"Ok, you use your jutsu to cheat at magic tricks. Can we go now?" Naruto was nearly bouncing with impatience.

"You don't get it, do you? Using it as much as possible is the best way I know to train. Besides, this means it's definitely working again." Obito sat down on a bar stool in front of the counter and pulled on his sandals. Then he hopped up and held out his hand with a grin.

* * *

The world stopped spinning, and Naruto blinked. They were inside the kamui dimension once again.

"Obito? Naruto?" Kabuto poked his head out of his tent and then came out to meet them, looking confused. "What happened? You never came back yesterday."

"And why are we here? Hurry up and take me back to my world!"

"We got stuck. And it doesn't work like that, Naruto. I can't jump directly from one to the other—I gotta go through this dimension first."

Kabuto bent to pick up the piece of wadded paper from the floor (or was it the ground?). "I'm glad when you send me stuff, but you keep tossing in trash without picking up after yourself."

"No I don't!" Obito started to protest, but then he shook his head. "Sorry, Kabuto. I think I ran out of energy and couldn't get back to Naruto's world, so we both ended up in mine. I'm sending him back now."

Kabuto's face scrunched as he looked up at them through his overlarge glasses. "If that's the case, aren't you in danger of getting stuck again if you go back there?"

"Nah. Anything that's wiped me out once, I can usually do a second time with no problem. I'm kind of not sure if I remember the right place, though."

"Just get me to my dimension, that'll be good enough." Naruto's knee was bobbing with nervous energy. He wouldn't be able to relax until he found Jiraiya and cleared this whole thing up.

"Alright. Be back soon!" Obito gave Kabuto a mock salute.

He put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. But for the second time, nothing happened.

The three boys stared at one another in silence for a minute. Nothing changed.

"This is a dumb joke, right?" Naruto said. He was not full of suppressed nerves anymore. He stood still, body like a lead weight.

Obito and Kabuto looked just as disbelieving. Naruto could tell by looking at Obito's expression that it wasn't a joke.

"You—you just need some more time to rest, right?" Naruto pressed, turning to stare from one to the other with a hopeful half-smile.

Obito's eyes went wide with realization. He raised a trembling hand to point at Naruto.

"It's because you're here."

"Yeah, I am. And I'd like to not be."

"No, I mean you're _here_. Which means that tag Orochimaru gave you is here, too. Which means there's no anchor."

"What are you talking about?" Tried as he might to stay calm, Naruto couldn't ignore the fear sinking into his heart. This could not be happening again. The situation back home was complicated enough.

"Obito is right," Kabuto said, hitting his fist to his palm. "That tag is the only thing linking your dimension to the outside. Orochimaru-sama gave it to you so that he could find you again. We figured out we could use it the same way, but now that your body and spirit are both here… it might be impossible to find that dimension again."

"What? WHAT?"

"Obito can still reach the future time. Why don't we ask Orochimaru-sama for help? He might know something," Kabuto suggested.

"NO," the other two shouted in unison.

"Our problems would only get worse if we brought that guy into this," Naruto added, crossing his arms. "It's bad enough dealing with the one in my timeline. The future one is ten times worse."

"We don't know what it's like there now, except what you found out after we left," Obito said. "Kabuto, you said my older self is gone. Is there anyone else who might know about dimensional jutsu?"

"Your older self is gone?" Naruto interrupted.

"Even if he was still there, it's not like we could ask him. We'd be better off with Orochimaru," Obito said with a scowl.

"What about future Kakashi-sensei?"

"He didn't really know anything last time. I doubt he does now."

"Then, maybe… Minato-sensei?" Kabuto said.

A pause.

"He might have an idea if we explain everything," Obito said slowly. "But I don't… I wanted to keep my power a secret 'til after I made sure Rin won't get captured. If too many things change, I won't know what's coming."

"Look, I can't hide inside this kamui dimension forever like Kabuto!" Naruto's voice strained with desperation. "And I have people I want to save, too. I need to get back home!"

As if emphasizing his humanity, Naruto's stomach suddenly growled.

"Aw man, this can't get any worse," he moaned, holding his stomach.

"Don't say that," Obito said darkly. "Okay. Might as well go back and have breakfast while we figure this out."

In less than a minute, they were back in Obito's apartment again. But their continued debate over what their next move should be failed to progress very far.

Until they could figure out a way back, Naruto had to borrow some of Obito's clothes, or else continue to run around in the onsen yukata. This did not help matters. Even the most exuberant of the Uchiha had little to offer that wasn't a gloomy shade of blue or black.

Obito didn't have a large variety of food either, but Naruto was perfectly content with cup ramen. The fact that he slurped it slowly rather than inhaling it was the truest sign of his distress.

"Maybe I can find out something from Minato-sensei without telling him everything," Obito said, picking halfheartedly at an orange.

"How? I don't even get why Kabuto suggested him."

"Because he uses a space-time jutsu, remember? You saw it when old-guy-Kakashi found one of his kunai. He can jump between different points, so long as he has a seal to mark the landing spot. That's what gave me the idea to try to find you. It's not the same thing, but he might be able to think of something we can't."

Naruto chewed the last bite of noodles quietly. Sure enough, his dad was amazing. So much that he felt like a distant idea rather than a real person, even though they sort of already met.

He understood why Obito didn't want to tell Minato everything. It was the same reason he kept avoiding certain topics with Jiraiya. It was probably worse for him, knowing what Obito was like in the future.

There was a sharp knock on the door. Naruto choked on the ramen broth he was gulping down, and Obito shot up to his feet.

"Oi, are you there? Minato-sensei wants to talk to you." A young, bored-sounding voice came from outside.

"It's Kakashi!" Obito hissed.

Naruto ducked down behind the counter, then stood up to throw his paper ramen cup into the trash, then ran to the edge of the living room, then halted.

" _What do I do?"_ he whispered harshly, waving his hands.

The question unfroze Obito. He strode over to Naruto and grabbed him by the arm. The space around him started to wrinkle.

But then the lock to Obito's front door clicked, and it swung open.

Obito dropped Naruto's arm immediately and turned to the door. Naruto looked up and saw the miniature version of his sensei standing there.

Kakashi's half-lidded gaze moved from Obito to Naruto. Both of his eyes were a dark gray, and his left eye didn't have a scar. The masked face and unimpressed stare were the same as ever, though.

"So you are here. Why don't you answer for once? I'm a shinobi, not a messenger." Kakashi tilted his head and sighed. "If you didn't hear me, I said Minato-sensei wants to talk to you. By the way—he means you _and_ this kid." He pointed at Naruto.

"What? Him?"

"Me?" Naruto echoed. He glanced at Obito. "Uhh… you mean right now? Now's not a good time. I, uh—there is somewhere I need to be. You'll have to go on without me." He edged toward the open door. He had no idea where else he would go, but that didn't matter.

"Wait."

Kakashi held a hand out in front of Naruto, forcing him to either stop walking or risk a fight. So he stopped and stared at the other boy, calculating how far he might be able to run if he knocked Kakashi's arm aside. It was strange, standing roughly the same height as his future sensei.

"You're not an Uchiha. Who are you?"

"Who are _you?_ Do you hide your face because people keep wanting to punch it?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes dangerously. It didn't look particularly intimidating coming from someone his own age. This version of Kakashi was just a skinny kid, after all, and he didn't even have the Sharingan. Naruto figured he could take him.

He was mistaken.

* * *

Naruto wheezed as he was dropped on the ground unceremoniously like a sack of rice. The ropes tied around his midsection made it difficult to move, and his arms were pinned down to his sides.

"I brought them, Minato-sensei," Kakashi said, with just a touch of the deadpan tone he would eventually perfect. "This one didn't want to cooperate. I'd say he's definitely suspicious."

They were at one of the many tree-sheltered spaces along the Naka River, not far from the Academy training fields. Minato turned from the peaceful view and walked toward them.

Obito wasn't tied up, but he looked scruffy and was holding a busted lip. The fight had been short, but intense. Somehow, Kakashi had gotten out of it unscathed. Obito had been yelling at him the whole way.

"You've gone too far this time, you asshole! I don't think Minato-sensei wanted you to literally drag us all the way here."

"Kakashi," Minato interrupted, "I sent Rin to help the instructors with survival drills again this morning. You should go, too."

"But _sensei_ —"

"Now, please."

Stubborn as Kakashi was, he was smart enough to take a hint. He gave one last disparaging look at Naruto and Obito before leaving.

Naruto wormed his way up into a sitting position during the brief exchange. Obito was standing in front of him again—for all the good it would do in this situation.

"We didn't do anything wrong," Obito said the instant Minato looked back at them. "Kakashi can't take a joke and Chief Fugaku is paranoid."

"That may be true. But you know I have to listen to Fugaku-sama's opinion, whether it's as a clan head or a police officer."

Minato looked at Naruto, studying him silently for a moment. His father wasn't smiling warmly at him, the way Naruto always envisioned. Nor did he look angry or suspicious. The future Yondaime Hokage's face was carefully unreadable. Naruto stared at the ground, a hard knot growing in his chest. His face was turning hot. Excuses popped up in his head one by one, but they were all stupid, so he kept his mouth shut.

This was really bad. Even without saying a thing, Minato would be able to tell he didn't belong here. What could he do if his dad decided he was an enemy?

"Yeah yeah, I get that, you have to get along with him." Obito took a subtle side step, partially blocking Naruto from view. "But we were just out in the District after dark and he happened to come along. If there was evidence for anything, he would have arrested us instead of complaining to you."

"That's what concerns me." Minato sighed. "That's why I want to ask you, before he can find any evidence: is there something we need to talk about?"

Obito's fists clenched. Naruto couldn't see his expression from where he sat, but the long silence that ensued was enough. There was no plan for getting them out of this.

Minato waited patiently for a moment, but neither of them spoke up.

He shifted his gaze from Obito to the fluffy clouds overhead. "I admit, I don't know every recent graduate from the Academy, but I've never seen one with bright blond hair even messier than mine. Your friend is quiet for someone dragged here against his will."

"You don't know the half of it," Naruto muttered under his breath.

"Haha, _well,"_ Obito said loudly over him, "I thought it would be good to make more friends outside of my own class. What's wrong with that? I just never mentioned it 'cause we've been so busy."

Minato frowned at the sky and then lowered his head to look at Obito again. Seriousness settled on his shoulders like an invisible cloak. The difference in his posture was barely discernible. But Naruto sensed that the good-natured mood was gone.

"I thought you might be hiding something important, but I didn't expect you to directly lie about it, Obito."

"I'm not—"

"Don't make it worse. The Hiraishin mark on you disappears from time to time—almost on a daily basis now. Unless you travel outside of my range, I don't understand how that's possible. What's more, I don't know how you got it in the first place. Anyone could figure out there's something strange here."

Minato's piercing blue gaze met Naruto's.

"Who are you, really?"

Naruto's mouth was dry. His throat contracted.

 _I'm your son._

"I… I'm…"

"Okay, fine," Obito said quietly. His hands loosened. "You're right, sensei. I lied. But I'd rather tell the truth than let you think badly of this kid. Truth or lies don't matter to me if I can't keep my promises. I don't know if you'll believe me, though."

Minato gave him a quizzical look. "What you've been through is something no one can blame you for. My only concern is whether or not outside influences have tried taking advantage of the situation."

"I'm not a spy or anything, you've—" Naruto burst out, but Obito held out a hand to quiet him.

"What I've been through isn't exactly what you think. But it'll be a lot quicker just to show you what I'm talking about." Obito turned around and helped pull Naruto to his feet, then worked on getting the ropes untied. It would have been faster to cut them, but neither boy had been wearing any weapons when Kakashi ambushed them.

"Finally," Naruto muttered as the ropes fell away and he could move his arms again. "That's the second time. Why is his reaction always to tie someone up?"

Minato watched them cautiously, but didn't interfere. All he did was walk a few steps closer to them, well within his striking range even without Hiraishin.

"Hey, what are you going to do?" Naruto asked Obito in a half-tone, though he could already guess.

"Sorry for dragging you into this. It'll be easier to talk over there, so maybe we'll figure something out soon. Alright," Obito held out a hand toward Minato. "Come on, sensei. You'll have to trust me for a second, but we're going somewhere no one can overhear us."

"…What do you mean?"

Obito smiled sheepishly. "You're not the only one who can teleport."

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Evil You Know will post July 21.**

 **In case you couldn't tell, we've switched to Fridays. I've been seeing a lot of reviewers from the previous story popping up lately. It's so nostalgic! Thank you all so much. :"D Might as well take a moment to welcome all the new readers, too-imagining people binge-reading TWTBW boggles me. Some of you I never got the chance to meet because it was already over by the time you found it. Back in those days, my updates were never more frequent than every two weeks! lmao**


	8. Evil You Know

**(posted 7/21/17)**

 **CHAPTER 8 | Evil You Know**

 **Minato** turned around and around, open amazement on his face as he took in the features of the vast kamui dimension.

"A space-time ninjutsu," he said in awe.

"I figured you'd be able to figure it out in a second," Obito said, sounding resigned.

"How long have you been able to do this? What is this place?"

"Ever since I was captured," Obito spoke quicker as Minato approached Kabuto's camp. "I awakened my Sharingan, and this is one of the abilities it gave me. This is a pocket dimension that can only be reached using my power."

"But…" Minato pulled back the tent flap, only to stop to stare down in confusion at Kabuto, who was about to walk out. "A-ah. Hello."

"Hello," Kabuto said a bit shyly, pushing up his glasses. After a beat, he added, "It didn't go well, did it? But at least no one got hurt, as far as I can tell."

Minato turned to look questioningly at Obito again.

"See, there's a lot more to it than this place," Obito said. "To cut it really short, I can sometimes travel to other dimensions besides ours, and that's where these two come from. The glasses kid is Kabuto, and to cut another story short, he lives here. Makes sense so far?"

"It is hard to accept, but yes," Minato said, scratching the back of his head.

"Okay, so here's what happened yesterday. I brought Naruto into this place—I call it my Kamui dimension." Obito pointed at Naruto, who looked wary at suddenly having all eyes on him. He had been too busy noticing the similarities between Minato's mannerisms and his own.

"The problem is," Obito continued, "I can't take him back home no matter how hard I try. It's really complicated, but after he got here here I just… couldn't find his world again. I thought I might be able to sense it to send him back, sort of like one of your seals. We met before, so I wanted to see if I could… that's another long story." Obito gave a frustrated sound and shook his head. "Anyway, Naruto is usually a loudmouth. He's only being quiet around you because it might be hard for him to go back home, even if we find a way to."

"You're the one who wanted to keep the dimensional thing a secret," Naruto said, more loudly than was necessary. "I was trying to let you handle it, asshole."

"So what you're saying is these two come from alternate dimensions… different realities?"

"Yeah. Different worlds," Obito said. "I know it's not easy to believe. But we wanted to ask if you have an idea how I could get Naruto back to his own place."

"I don't know." Minato shook his head slowly. "I've never heard of space-time jutsu powerful enough to visit other planes of reality. This is beyond anything I've ever imagined." He studied Naruto again, looking more curious than hostile now. "Did you end up here accidentally? How did Obito bring you into our world?"

Naruto answered with a bit of verbal stumbling. "Uh, well, I was the marker and that's how he could get there. But since I'm here now, he can't find it anymore. It was something like that 'ttebayo."

Minato raised a brow. Naruto wasn't sure what Obito was trying to do, but it was obvious a huge puzzle piece was missing from their story. But if Minato saw it, he chose not to comment. He just shook his head with an admirable level of calm.

"If it works the same way my Hiraishin does, a marker is necessary to land in the right place. There is a very short landing range around that point, so where I end up is pretty much the exact spot. But that's only if it works the same way." Minato looked around at the kamui dimension again. "I wouldn't be so sure it does. Obito has one of my markers on him, but I can't sense it when he's here. Now I understand what was so confusing before. There are other versions of myself out there, and that's why Obito has a seal I don't remember giving him."

"…Yeah. That's pretty much it." Obito glanced nervously at Naruto. "So you're saying that, since it's different, we might not need a marker? There could be some other way to get back to Naruto's world?"

"I don't know. But the chance shouldn't be zero. If that place exists somewhere, there may be a way to reach it."

"That's it?" Naruto said. "That's the only answer we get, after all that crap?"

"I really don't know." Minato gave him an apologetic look.

Naruto struggled not to react too strongly with his dad watching. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that he hadn't made a good first impression so far. He didn't want to make things worse by giving Minato some reason to think he was suspicious. But he might have lost his world again, _just_ as soon as he got it back.

"Listen, I'm sorry about this," Obito mumbled. "I didn't think—"

"People are going to worry about me, and I don't know what'll happen to them if they go looking!" Naruto managed to keep his voice below a yell, but barely. "I can't just accept 'yeah, there might be a way, hopefully it still exists'. I wanted to… there were a lot of things I still needed to do."

"Naruto," Minato said carefully, as if testing it out. He walked over to him, extending his hand slowly. "I don't know all the details, so I can't say if there is any hope or not. I think Obito should not be using his jutsu so recklessly if he doesn't understand its consequences. But I also think we should do whatever we can to take you home, if it's possible to do. I'll keep thinking about it." He rested his hand on top of Naruto's head and gave a small, encouraging smile.

It was surprising, but it felt natural. Naruto looked up, questions threatening to bubble up out of him. He still didn't understand his father at all. How much did he know? Was he being strict or nice? Why did he have to leave, to die and leave him with Kurama?

"The idea I had might work," Kabuto said. "Even if it makes us uncomfortable, it might be worth a try."

"Like hell. _You_ don't seem too uncomfortable with it." Naruto stepped aside from Minato to point at the young medic.

"What idea is that?"

"That's one of those details you shouldn't know, Minato-sensei," Kabuto said. "Another version of someone who lives in your world. Someone we can ask."

"I… see." Minato paused. "It may not be my place to say this, but be careful, whatever you decide to do." He looked to Obito, then to Naruto. "There is no telling what might result by bringing people from other dimensions into our world. But, if everything else fails and you can't find your way home, l would like to know. I can see that you're eager to get back, and I don't blame you. But try not to do anything that could result in me losing any students."

Naruto wanted to tell all of it right then. Not just about who he was and how he got here. Everything, from the time he was a lonely kid asking who his parents were, to the moment when he talked to Minato's resurrected soul in the future. He could tell all of it and stay in the past.

It was possible. He wasn't even born yet in Obito's time, so he wouldn't be stealing his parents from some other version of himself. It would be strange at first, but maybe they could even become a family.

"We'll be careful, sensei," Obito said quickly when he didn't answer.

"What exactly is this idea, Obito? I'm not sure you should jump into something you don't know about."

"Eh, I don't mind explaining that, but it's kind of a lot, and we have to make a decision soon. I'm not going to get stuck if that's what you're worried about. The worst that'll happen is it won't work, and Naruto will have to come back here." Obito's face didn't twitch as Kabuto gave him a dubious look.

Naruto shook his head. That bright, shiny dream bubble was nothing more than that. Chasing it wouldn't solve anything.

He knew first-hand how painful it was to live separated from his own world. And everyone in the future timeline had fought so hard to help him make it back home. They had given their effort and blood and life to see him make it back. He had so many promises to keep. Too many to just run away.

"Thanks for trying to help, anyway," Naruto heard himself saying. "Maybe I'll come back to visit sometime once we figure out how."

Obito walked up Minato and resolutely grabbed on to his sleeve.

"Obito?"

"I'll see you soon, sensei."

Then Obito threw him out of the dimension. All he did was push, and Minato disappeared into a sudden distortion in the air, and he was gone.

"What the hell?" Naruto yelped. "What'd you do that for? I still wanted to talk to my dad! He doesn't… I mean, we haven't—"

"It'd be that much harder for you to leave if you got into that conversation, right?" Obito crossed his arms. "You already said you wanted to focus on getting back first. So, are we gonna do this or not?"

"Do what?" Naruto was seriously considering returning the punch from their reunion.

"Ask Orochimaru for help." Obito tapped his foot impatiently.

"What… are you serious? You think he'd really help us? I thought you didn't want to do it, either."

"Not really, but Orochimaru's the only person who understands our whole situation. He knows about this stuff. Kabuto said he was still learning things from the experiment with us."

"And that's why _I'm_ saying, if we don't want to end up in another experiment, we shouldn't talk to him."

"Orochimaru can't do anything about my kamui. I already got away from him twice because of that. It's a risk, but like you said, you don't have forever to figure out how to get back. You're ready to do whatever it takes, right?"

"Just the idea of working with _any_ version of Orochimaru makes me sick to my stomach. There's not even a guarantee he'll know what to do. And if he does, it's not like he'll give us the answer for free."

Obito shrugged. "I'm just saying, I'll back you up if you want to try it. It's kinda my fault, so…"

Naruto looked down at the blank, unnaturally flat ground, trying to think. It didn't help very much.

"If you don't want to ask him, make up your mind," Obito said. "I have to explain things better to Minato-sensei at some point, but I'm cool with putting it off a little longer while I have a good excuse."

"Kabuto, are you sure Orochimaru can't do anything to block Obito's kamui?" Naruto asked.

"Unless he got a new skill since I left, I'm sure," Kabuto said. "It would be much simpler for him to incapacitate Obito than come up with a way to beat it."

"That doesn't help."

Naruto let out a long, aggravated breath and looked between his friends. He thought they'd never have to deal with _that_ Orochimaru again, much less go to him on purpose. But there wasn't time to spend debating about it forever. Obito was watching expectantly, waiting.

"…Alright. We can talk to him, but if he tries to pull anything, you need to kamui us out. We escaped from the bastard before, we can do it again if we have to."

"Okay." Obito cracked his knuckles. "This isn't exactly what I wanted to do when I woke up this morning, but maybe I can use this chance to get some more answers."

Obito was right. Taking risks and moving forward was way better than standing around thinking about it. To face an enemy head-on, no matter how tough they were.

Maybe his fear of that time line's Orochimaru was irrational. It was just that feeling, the loss of control, that bothered Naruto more than anything. There had been one too many times when he'd thought he had an advantage over this Orochimaru, only to find out he'd been dancing in the scaly palm of his hand the whole time. Obito hadn't been in the future dimension long enough to experience it.

Naruto didn't think it was possible for the snake to manipulate a situation happening far out of his reach, in a completely different dimension.

What made going there scary wasn't the danger: it was the fact that he wasn't entirely sure.

"I'm not interested in going back," Kabuto said. "I wouldn't mind it if you had the chance to steal any books, though."

"I'll do my best." Obito grinned.

He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. In a few seconds, they had disappeared and crossed to the other side.

* * *

The clash between Naruto, Orochimaru, and the masked man from Akatsuki had turned the cliff-side hideout into a crumbling mess. They left it the very same day, but Sasuke couldn't stop replaying the confrontation in his mind over and over.

They moved to another hideout near Kusagakure, far from Jiraiya and, most promisingly, close to their one contact within Akatsuki.

Sasuke expected them to remain at this new hideout for at least a full month. But they were only there a couple of weeks when Kabuto woke him with news that they were heading back into Kiri rebel territory.

"We're leaving again?" Sasuke sat up and got out of bed. He hated being woken up, and this news was _particularly_ irritating. "Has Orochimaru decided to run away from Akatsuki this time? Or is he so caught up in the Kiri situation he's willing to abandon his other projects?"

"We're going because Orochimaru-sama wants to have use of a certain lab in that area."

"He has a lab here. What does he have to do that we have to travel all that way for?"

"I do not know. A whim, perhaps, or something he hasn't felt the need to explain yet." Kabuto pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "I'm sure it must be disappointing for you, considering you've been using my name to correspond with Sasori ever since we arrived in Kusa."

Sasuke was unrepentant. "If neither of you will investigate Akatsuki, I will. That masked man is an Uchiha. The fact that he's alive means he was an accomplice, which means he is my target as well."

"Is that the only reason you are so fixated on Akatsuki? Well, it doesn't matter. You will have plenty of time for that later. For now, I would caution against contact with any of them, if you would like to live long enough to complete your revenge." Kabuto turned to the door. "Gather your things. We're leaving within the hour."

* * *

Jiraiya woke to the late morning sun warming his face. It felt pleasant, despite the chilly air creeping through the slightly open door. He felt better every day, but the healing process was definitely taking longer than if he hadn't been poisoned—and the heartless onset of age didn't help.

The futon next to the door was empty, blankets haphazardly tossed aside. How many times had he told Naruto to leave the room looking somewhat decent when he left for training? Maybe the kid was having a late breakfast and hadn't left yet.

Jiraiya sat up and gave a big yawn and stretch—at least as much of a stretch as was possible with a half-healed hole in his gut.

He tidied up the room, leaving Naruto's space for last so he could lecture him about it, but by the time he finished everything else, Naruto still wasn't back. Puzzled, Jiraiya left the room and went by the front desk to talk to the hostess' kind (and pretty) granddaughter.

"Have you seen Naruto around anywhere this morning? I don't know if he ran off to train before I woke up, or what."

"I haven't seen him, Jiraiya-sama," she said with a shake of her head. "He always runs through here so quickly when he's leaving for the mountain, it's possible I missed him while I was talking to someone else."

"Yeah." Jiraiya stifled another yawn. "He left the place a mess when he went out, too. Something must have had him fired up this morning."

"That certainly wouldn't surprise me." She hid a smile behind one hand.

Jiraiya turned back to go order some breakfast, with only the faintest of doubts nagging at the back of his mind. Naruto often rushed off to train with the Toads first thing in the morning, and typically spent the whole day there working on his taijutsu and wind element. But it really wasn't like him to leave his things scattered around (knowing the penalty), and it was also rare for him not to shout a good morning to the hostess' granddaughter before he left.

Though Jiraiya usually spent his time researching their next move (and his next book—no need to let the opportunity go to waste), he decided that today he would go visit the Toads and see how Naruto's training was coming along.

* * *

"Nah, haven't seen him," Gamakichi said. "Guess you could ask around if you wanted, but he usually just comes here. You know, I kinda thought you decided to train him today or something. Where do you think he ran off to?"

Jiraiya stared into the pool of toad oil, watching the rapid ripples that skidded across its surface from the waterfall of oil. He could no longer ignore the foreboding looming over him.

Had Naruto been snatched away into the future again? Possibly, but if that was the case, he should have left his body behind. Jiraiya had seen no sign of Naruto's comatose form en route to the hidden passage to the Toad's domain. But if that really was what happened, the first thing they needed to do was find him. An empty shell couldn't survive long, no matter how naturally tough it was.

* * *

"Are you sure you can't sense Naruto's energy? It might be very faint if he's been trapped in the future again," Jiraiya said.

The old toad Fukasaku shook his head regretfully. "I've expanded my senses as far as they will go, but nothing. The distance between here and the resort is short enough—I'd be able to feel even a small spark of his energy if it was there."

"But dear, you're not saying—surely he isn't _dead?"_ Shima exclaimed.

Jiraiya was tempted to use Sage Mode so that he could do the searching himself, but his sensing capabilities were no better than Fukasaku's. It was time to think, not waste time chasing the wrong idea.

"If you can't find him even after searching as far as you can… he could be somewhere blocked off where Sage Mode can't reach," Jiraiya said. "That could mean Akatsuki, or even Orochimaru. Shima-baa, see if you can reverse-summon him. The contract is based off blood, so it wouldn't be easy for them to interfere with it."

Shima tried. But all that resulted from her efforts was an empty puff of smoke.

That was when things got really alarming. None of them had ever heard of the contract failing, save for an error in technique, or an incredibly powerful blocking seal, or death. It was unlikely that one of the most respected elder Toads made a mistake, so that could only mean Naruto was somewhere _very_ far out of reach. It meant no trace of him was left in this world.

"Last time we tried it, when he was in the future, at least his body showed up," Jiraiya said.

Tsunade had chewed him out mightily for pulling her patient away from the many machines that helped keep his body going close to the end. Needless to say, it hadn't really solved their problem.

Fukasaku was thinking along the same lines. "Tsunade-chan won't be happy about this."

* * *

"WHAT?!" The surface of the reflection pool shivered from the force of Tsunade's roar.

"It could be Akatsuki or Orochimaru, or even some power we haven't seen yet," Jiraiya said. He was pointedly avoiding any hint of the possibility that Naruto could be dead. "I've put together enough information to take a guess about where Orochimaru might be. If we're talking about places that have strong barriers around them, I can narrow it down even more."

"So, what? Do you plan on rushing in there on flimsy evidence, without knowing if he's there or not, just because it's the only guess you have?" Tsunade's amber eyes flashed.

"Hime, you know I'd rather have something like this all planned out. A guy like me can't make it on dumb luck too many times without running into something nasty. But at least I've filled that quota for a while." He lightly patted the place where his wound was.

Tsuande was not amused. "Are you forgetting that Orochimaru is the one who did that? If it comes to a raid, I'll send an appropriately prepared team instead. It's ridiculous to think you're in any condition to stage a rescue. Besides…" She trailed off, then paused. She stared at him through the portal, looking like she was about to say something, but thought better of it.

"Jeez, don't look at me like that." Jiraiya sighed. "We need to act quickly in this situation. I can go see if they're there without getting into a fight, you know? And you can get your team ready if you want. Don't be surprised if I come back with him before you do, though."

"You are under no circumstances to engage the enemy if you find them," Tsunade said firmly. "None, do you understand?"

"I knew you'd come around."

Jiraiya turned away from the pool, effectively cutting off their communication. Fukasaku looked up, heavy brows scrunched in concern.

Chances were very good this lead would produce nothing. Maybe they wouldn't be there. Or maybe, in some wild, far-fetched way, it was all a misunderstanding and Naruto was safe. Maybe he'd gotten so good at Sage Mode that his presence was indistinguishable from the earth and nature. Never mind the fact that the Shodai was the only shinobi in known history to fully achieve that feat. Never mind that it still wouldn't explain why the contract didn't work.

Any possibility, no matter how far-fetched, was better than the alternative.

* * *

The twisting of space from Obito's kamui stopped. They had arrived.

Naruto opened his eyes to a large, dimly lit chamber. It was semi-circular, with about half a dozen rounded entrances leading into dark hallways. A cool, dusty draft drifted in from them. It was like a huge foyer, with the feeling of a dungeon.

"This is where I escaped before, with Kabuto," Obito whispered. "There wasn't a lot of time to look around. I just saw Kabuto, asked him what was going on, then got us both out the moment Orochimaru showed up. I guess we need to get his attention on purpose this time."

The thought of destroying another one of Orochimaru's hideouts was very appealing. But it probably wouldn't take that long.

"This should be easy, since we _want_ to find him this time," Naruto said. "Besides, he's gonna already know we're here, if the—"

"—Seal still works?"

The two boys stiffened and turned slowly.

The future Orochimaru emerged from one of the entryways and walked toward them, yellow eyes shining eerily in the low light.

It was strange how different a person could look without significantly changing their features. Instead of a tunic tied with an elaborate purple rope, this Orochimaru wore a long robe with a white sash, and his long hair was pulled back loosely. Naruto thought he also looked a bit taller than the counterpart in his own timeline—but then, he reminded himself, Orochimaru had a habit of switching bodies.

"It's been a while," Orochimaru greeted, opening his hands in a genial way. "You were correct, Naruto-kun. Thanks to the seal, I saw your misadventure in the past, and I knew you would be here before long. It is frustrating that I can't see into the kamui dimension, but I knew this was the conclusion you would eventually come to."

"'Cause you knew Kabuto would think of it?" Naruto challenged.

"Yes." Orochimaru's eyes flickered with amusement. "You've gotten a bit better at understanding certain situations, Naruto-kun. I've noticed that in your own timeline, as well. Though, you have become slightly less promising in other respects."

"Yeah, I don't give a damn about that. You probably know why we're here, so let's just skip the part where you hint around things without actually being helpful."

Orochimaru held a hand up to his mouth as if stifling a smile. His elongated fingernails were painted the same color as his eye lines—the color of poison.

"Alright. But the solution, in this case, happens to require a roundabout answer. You will need to forgive that, though I'm sure you'll understand why very soon."

Naruto looked across at Obito, who didn't look as confident as he did a moment ago. But Obito nodded slightly and spoke up.

"If you make any suspicious moves, we'll be out of here in a second."

"Follow me," Orochimaru said, not acknowledging Obito's statement one way or the other. He motioned toward the hall he had emerged from.

With only slight hesitation, the other two followed.

Whatever might come, there was no turning back now.

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Snake Devours Its Own Tail, will post July 28.**


	9. Snake Devours Its Own Tail

**(posted 7/28/17)**

 **CHAPTER 9 | Snake Devours Its Own Tail**

 **Orochimaru's** hideout was just as unsettling as all the others Naruto had visited recently. Given the present company, and the fact that they were in the future dimension again, it was probably even worse.

The tunnel-like hallway was dark and cold. The torches along the walls were placed too far apart, casting the floor and spaces in between into inky shadow. Even as they walked past countless doors through the labyrinthine hallways, there didn't seem to be anyone else around. Without Kabuto here, did Orochimaru simply live in this big place all by himself?

"Where are we going?" Naruto broke the silence.

"To retrieve something we need."

"Why? What is it?"

Orochimaru didn't seem the least bit concerned about them trying to run away, or attacking while his back was turned. He spoke without turning around.

"To state the situation simply: Obito-kun could not return to your dimension because you, his link to that dimension, got taken out of it. You must have figured that much out already, to seek help from Minato."

"Yeah, so what can we—"

"The only way to return is to find another anchor connecting that dimension to the outside. It takes a very uncommon sort of power to jump between utterly disconnected dimensions. Even as you are with both eyes, Obito-kun, you still require a pathway. You have yet to reach the full extent of your abilities. I assume you already understand what it will take to develop your Sharingan further?"

Obito scowled. "The point is, we don't have a pathway. That's the whole problem."

"Fortunately, you do."

Orochimaru stopped in the hall. He pressed his palm against the stone wall, and a hidden door slid open. He stepped through the door without waiting for them to react. They looked at each other again and followed him inside.

This hidden room was much larger than the one Naruto had stumbled into back in his own time. It was full of quietly humming instruments and glowing interfaces, including a row of aquatic tanks large enough for human-sized specimen. Thankfully, they were empty—at least, as far as Naruto could tell.

Further along, he took note of a kind of console covered in switches and buttons. If they needed to cause some quick chaos, that would be a likely place to target.

Against the back wall there was another control module, and attached to it was a gleaming steel pod, poised at a 45-degree angle, also large enough to hold a person.

But what was inside wasn't a person. Through the thick plastic of its top half, they could see one of the Zetsu clones. In appearance, it was no different from the ones they had fought and _been_ during their stay in the future.

"This doesn't explain anything." Naruto pointed at the clone, which appeared to be in some kind of stasis. At any rate, its eyes were closed, and it wasn't moving. "If you're suggesting we go back to being plant monsters, you can forget it."

"No. That would do nothing to solve your problem. I warn you that what I'm suggesting may be even harder to accept. But if you listen carefully before deciding, you will see there is something we can both gain from it."

"Yeah, I doubt it."

Orochimaru once again chose to continue explaining rather than respond. He typed a command into the control board, and the plastic covering on the pod glided down slowly, exposing the clone to the air. It didn't even twitch.

"This is the same state both of you were in while your souls were here, except in reverse," Orochimaru said patiently, his dry, husky voice breaking through their disgusted trance. "When the soul leaves, the clones will remain identical to the summoned person for a while, but after the borrowed energy runs out, it will return to its original form. And yet, it is irrevocably altered. It is still a living thing, but its capacity for consciousness is forever tied to the soul that once inhabited it. Even if that soul is no longer in this dimension."

"So that's what _this_ is?" Obito wrinkled his nose. "Did you keep the plant versions of us, or something?"

"No. Unfortunately, they were both destroyed."

Naruto whipped his head around to Orochimaru. "Wait—you used that jutsu on someone else? You used this plant body to summon another person from my time-line? That's what you're saying, isn't it?"

Orochimaru smiled widely. "Very good. So you see, there is an anchor to your dimension left. All we need is for Obito-kun to become acquainted with it."

While the two looked on in horror, Orochimaru reached into the pod and into the weird pale and green head of of the clone. When he pulled his hand back, he was holding a kunai with a seal attached to it. It was exactly like the one he had placed within Naruto.

"This is what you need to locate." He held it out to Obito, who gingerly accepted the kunai with a look of pure revulsion.

"Who did you use it on? And why?" Naruto demanded. "Was it Sasuke? If you've done anything to him, I'll—"

"No. My motivation for this project was different than the first." Orochimaru turned to tap on the keys some more, and the covering closed up again. "I was in the process of developing a new, stronger vessel for the Time-Spanning Incarnation jutsu. I needed a way to test not only its physical viability, but to investigate broader, more practical applications for the jutsu. Ways that I might be able to use those pathways once I created them."

Orochimaru turned back around to them. "In short, I want to achieve freedom from the bounds of not just mortality, but time and space altogether. Both of you have been important pieces to that puzzle, and this is one other."

Naruto bristled. "We're not pawns in your immortality game!"

"And how am I supposed to use this to find the other dimension?" Obito studied the seal attached to the kunai.

"I'm afraid you know the answer to that better than I do. It should be identical to how you were able to find Naruto-kun. However, there is one significant caveat." Orochimaru held up a thin finger. "I still have control over this pathway. That is, I can cut it off before you have the chance to use it. Naturally, there is something I want in exchange for my cooperation."

"I knew it!" Naruto pointed at Orochimaru. "I knew this whole thing was suspicious. It's all a way for you to get closer to what you want."

"Wait a minute, Naruto," Obito said, earning himself a sharp glance. "I get what you're saying, but I really think this might be the only way for you to get back home. We can still leave here anytime we want, so it won't hurt to listen to whatever cracked idea he's come up with. But I'm not completely sure it'll work, either way," he added to Orochimaru. "It's hard to picture where I'm going if I don't know exactly where it is or who I'm going toward."

"That won't be a problem. The place is here, and the person is me."

"Huh?"

"I summoned myself," Orochimaru said clearly. "Well before the anchor was lost. We are currently in the same general location: this base. That's because I always know where my counterpart is, and I came here to match that. I have prepared everything to make your success as likely as possible. What I want in return is to travel with you into that dimension."

Naruto barked out a humorless laugh.

Obito looked skeptical. "You wanna go back to the past?"

"I understand your resistance to the idea." Orochimaru put a hand to his chin thoughtfully, tucking the other hand under his elbow. "I have branched out by myself to continue research on the subject of dimensional jutsu, but now that things have been settled with Sasuke-kun in this timeline, and since Kabuto is gone, I have no real reason to do so here. Instead, I would like to see the results with my own eyes. And as I said at the beginning, there's benefit in it for you, too."

Aggravated as he was, Naruto was slightly thrown by how calm Orochimaru was being. When they interacted before, the snake's main method of negotiating with his experiments was to tell them what to do, and if they didn't listen, poison them and take away their free will.

But even if Orochimaru's message was delivered in a more reasonable way this time, that didn't make it any less appalling.

"There's no way I'm letting you step foot in my world," Naruto said flatly. "Even if I have to leave it forever, it's safer without you there. We already have one of you, and that's too many as it is."

"You are being stubborn, Naruto-kun. I never said I would share with my younger self. I am going to replace him. That is why this is a good bargain for both of us."

Naruto felt a chill. Calmer he may be, but he was still every bit as creepy as before. "What do you mean?"

"I will absorb my younger self and take his place, so no one will have any unnecessary leads on the existence of the Time-Spanning Incarnation. My interests have moved far beyond the projects my younger self was involved in. I no longer need to use the vessels of others to maintain my own brand of immortality. Unlike my younger self, I will not interfere with you."

"What about Sasuke?" Naruto couldn't stop himself from asking.

"His existence is still one of interest to me, especially in this unique world you are making. I won't stop you from pursuing him, but I won't do anything to hinder his wishes, either. Nor will I tell him the truth about where I come from. It will still be up to you to convince him. I know from experience that it will be much more interesting to let the pieces act as they want."

Naruto could hardly believe he was starting to be a little bit persuaded. He looked down at the floor, trying to buy enough time for his head to clear. There was no way having this Orochimaru come to his timeline was a good thing. But if he was telling the truth about leaving Sasuke alone…

"You're a lot stronger than the you in my time," Naruto said. "If it turns out you're lying, it'll just make things that much worse."

Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile beneath his pale hand. "The reason I don't have to search for a new vessel is I have already gained one that lasts a very long time—that is, one of Shodai-sama's replica clones. I inhabit one now, just as Kabuto does. You are already familiar with their biggest weakness. It would destroy me just as easily."

"I think you should go for it," Obito said.

"You're not helping."

"I'm serious. I don't really have any say in this 'cause it's not my world, but if it was, I'd go for it. If it meant an easy way to save Rin, I'd do it in a second."

Naruto couldn't think of a good answer. The thought of agreeing to Orochimaru's conditions was nauseating on principle, no matter how much the snake claimed it was a compromise.

The issue was bigger than just what he personally wanted, wasn't it? The whole world needed to be protected, too.

"Take out this tag," Naruto said, pointing at his own forehead. "That way you can't control me or spy on me ever again. If you do that, then maybe I'll believe you."

Orochimaru shook his head. "Your natural form is not malleable enough for that to work; your energy and body are far too intertwined. The best way to stop it is to block it, and Minato already did that admirably. He might have been able remove it entirely back then—but it's too late for that now. However, I will be gracious enough to tell you there _is_ a way to destroy it from within. It's a solution you briefly touched on before finding a safer alternative: release the Kyuubi's chakra, and it will break."

Was he telling the truth? There was no hint of a lie in Orochimaru's posture or voice, but his ability to pretend far surpassed Naruto's ability to catch a lie.

"We'll go for it," Obito said.

"Oi! What happened to you not having a say in it?" Naruto tried to elbow him; it simply phased through. "Besides, weren't you pissed off because I made a deal with him last time?"

"Yeah, but that's because you did something that affected all of us without asking. If it's my turn to decide something for you so that _you_ can get back home, I guess we can call it even."

"It's not just about me. My whole world is better off without this bastard—"

"—And he already lives there. He lives in my world too, don't you remember?"

"You can take him, then. There's plenty of stuff he can watch while there's a war going on."

"Now, now," Orochimaru clapped lightly for attention. "Don't act like siblings trying to pawn off their poor aging relative. I would love to visit Obito-kun's timeline, if given the chance. However, that will not help Naruto-kun return home."

"So you'd be willing to stay in my time long enough to get us there, and then leave?" Naruto said.

"Traveling across multiple dimensions would be enlightening," Orochimaru said with an uncharacteristically normal smile. "But consider the ramifications of sending me away before I can carefully dissolve the projects my younger self is involved in."

"Ugh." Naruto rubbed a hand through his hair in frustration.

Obito held his hand out toward Orochimaru, the kunai resting on his open palm. "Sure. I'm not scared of you. Minato-sensei could still take you down even if you came to my world." Obito looked at Naruto. "Okay? If he tries to mess up your world, we'll kick him out."

Naruto was grateful Obito was willing to make up for getting him into this, but it wasn't making deciding a lot easier. He didn't respond in the affirmative, but he didn't try to move away when Obito grabbed his arm, either.

"I won't let him get that far." Naruto said, watching Orochimaru as he reached out to accept the offered hand.

Even though he hoped it wouldn't become necessary, it was comforting to know there was still an ultimate measure. And that he had support from people whose lives didn't depend on him making the right decisions. Obito and Kabuto. His dad. His dad, who had negated Orochimaru's control. Who would be the one to save him if he had to break Kurama's seal. Who would probably jump across space and time to fight if he knew the reason why.

Naruto closed his eyes and let himself get pulled into the twisting vortex of the kamui.

* * *

The spinning slowed. They were in the space just before arriving, where moving or speaking was still difficult, but their physical senses could work again. Naruto pried his eyes open a sliver, just in time to see Obito's kamui dimension appear around them translucently. It had only come halfway into view before the world grew dark again.

Naruto tried to ask what was wrong—but they were back in the in-between, back to being unable to move.

They stayed suspended in that darkness for what felt like a terrifyingly long time. Naruto concentrated all the while, trying to decide whether he could still feel Obito holding onto his arm or not.

Finally, gravity reasserted itself with the speed of slowly-melting ice. They were back to standing in a place where the action of standing had meaning.

Obito crumpled, just managing to catch himself on hands and knees before he hit the floor. The kunai clattered onto smoothed concrete.

"Obito!"

Naruto crouched down beside him. Obito was pale and out of breath, but conscious. His Sharingan was activated, but then he blinked and his eyes went back to normal.

"Are you alright? What happened? We never landed in your dimension, so where…" Naruto looked up and around.

It looked just like the place they had left—except, not exactly. Most noticeably, there was no pod with a Zetsu clone inside it, nor the console it was attached to. This back area mostly contained unmarked crates.

Orochimaru hummed. "You avoided landing all the way, so I would never get the chance to move freely within your dimension." He knelt down on Obito's other side. "Take this." A small pellet was in the palm of his hand.

"What is it?" Obito asked in a strained voice, but he picked it up anyway.

"It will help your chakra restore faster. I am impressed. Even though I set up the most ideal circumstances possible, it is incredible that you managed send the three of us across such a large gap without sacrificing your own life energy."

Obito looked pleased at the praise for a second, but then, as if remembering its source, he frowned.

"I've been practicing. And I didn't want you anywhere near Kabuto." He bit down on the pellet and made a face at its taste.

Naruto helped him get to his feet, and they gave the room another cautious examination.

"We're back in my time?" Naruto said.

"Yes." Orochimaru straightened back to full height and stepped in front of them again. "My counterpart will be here soon to investigate the intruders. He doesn't remember being summoned to my timeline, and he is weakened from the Third's final attack and my own interference. It will not be difficult for me to take him down, but I would advise standing back."

Obito muttered curses under his breath. Naruto agreed.

Orochimaru kept walking forward, but they stayed there, standing behind stacks of crates and watching.

"Whatever he's about to do, it's bound to be really gross. I don't want to stick around for it," Naruto said. "Do you think we can sneak out of here and try to find Sasuke?"

"We're blocked in back here, unless we go through this wall." Obito pointed behind him. "But I don't think I can do that right now. I need more time to rest."

"That's alright. I was overdue to wreck another one of these, anyway." Naruto grinned and punched his palm with his other hand. He called on one of his clones—a regular Rasengan was all he needed this time. It didn't matter if they made some noise when it was all about to get chaotic.

The Rasengan started to take shape in his hand quickly. As he drew his hand back and plunged it into the wall, shattering the rock, an equally loud boom came from behind them. An alarm went off. Their guest had arrived.

"Crap!" Naruto's hand was trapped in the rock for a moment until he managed to wiggle it free. The wall hadn't shattered, just had a hole punched into it. It was hewn from the rock, not an actual wall at all.

"That worked well."

Another loud boom.

They looked back at the source of the noise from within the lab. Neither Orochimaru was visible, but one of the tanks—different in size and design than the ones in the future—had fallen over and broken, sending its liquid contents glugging out onto the floor.

A loud hissing, and a gigantic snake suddenly filled the space between the floor and the ceiling. There were indistinct shouts.

Obito ducked behind the crates again and motioned for Naruto to follow after he extracted himself from the wall.

"I guess we just have to stay low," he said as Naruto peeked through a loose slat on one of the wooden boxes.

"Yeah, but while they're both distracted, we could do something to break through. If I use Sage Mode—"

"Go ahead, but I'm staying here. I've seen enough of Orochimaru's fighting style to last me the rest of my life, which'll probably get a lot shorter if I try to jump out there without my kamui."

The sounds were terrible. It was the hissing of hundreds of snakes and the crashes and thuds of ruined machinery all rolled into one, like someone decided to combine the two in some horrible soundboard. Naruto felt slightly nauseated, and was glad he couldn't really see.

As Orochimaru predicted, the fight didn't last very long. Stillness filled the space after machinery stopped getting broken. The alarm kept going for a few seconds before cutting off. The only sounds left were the drips from various tanks and pipes, and an occasional scraping sound, like glass crunching on the concrete.

It turned out to be footsteps. Naruto and Obito poked their heads up over the crates and saw Orchimaru jump lightly over the fallen tank. He continued toward them, slightly disheveled but looking as calm as ever.

"Now, we should leave this room. It is hazardous."

"Is the other you gone? What does that mean? What did you _do?"_ Obito sounded revolted.

"Where is Sasuke?" Naruto added immediately, scrabbling after Orochimaru, who again didn't wait to see whether they would follow.

Orochimaru paused in front of the door, one hand poised over the switch that would open it.

Obito caught up to them a second later. "What're we doing now?"

"Let's ask the person on the other side of this door," Orochimaru said.

He pressed the switch, and the door slid open.

"Orochimaru-sama! Ope—" It was this timeline's Kabuto. He cut himself off mid-shout at the sight of them. He glanced at Naruto and Obito, then looked at Orochimaru. "What… what happened?"

"The door was sealed to prevent intruders or sounds from coming through. But there is nothing to worry about."

Orochimaru walked past Kabuto, and the two boys followed. Obito craned his neck to stare back at Kabuto curiously.

"Obito-kun, please do not consider kidnapping my assistant again," Orochimaru said without pause. "This one would not do well meeting his other self without warning."

"O-Orochimaru-sama, what is going on?" Kabuto hurried to catch up to Orochimaru's stride. The look of sheer bafflement on his face nearly made Naruto laugh aloud. "The lab has just been destroyed!"

"A long-standing project of mine has finally come to fruition. There are too many details to explain it with the necessary amount of care at the moment. There are other things that require our attention right now. Sasuke's whereabouts."

Naruto started paying closer attention.

"That…" Kabuto glanced at Naruto and Obito again. He seemed more confused by their presence there than anything else. "I haven't learned anything new. He's gone. I have reason to believe he decided to pursue Akatsuki… Itachi as well as all the rest."

They had arrived in the same chamber Naruto and Obito first found in the future timeline. Orochimaru stopped, which was good, because Naruto suddenly found himself completely rooted in place.

"Sasuke left?" he demanded. "That doesn't make sense. He doesn't wanna go after Akatsuki. If he left it's because he thinks he has to kill Itachi… he has no reason to go after the rest of them."

"It is only a guess," Kabuto said crossly. "It's possible his interest is limited to Madara. Ever since that man attacked, along with you and Jiraiya, Sasuke-kun has been looking into the intel we have gathered on Akatsuki. If you came here to find him again, I'm afraid I can't help you. He deliberately slipped away without leaving any clues."

"No way… does something like this have to happen every time I leave?"

"That may be," Orochimaru said. "At any rate, I am sure he will surface again soon. It's possible he only wanted to do some investigating on his own. If he intended to leave permanently, he would have tried to kill me first." The corners of his lips twitched with a smile. "I imagine that we'll be leaving here soon. But we should go back to the agreed upon place, so he will not have to search for us when he returns."

"I was beginning to think the same thing." Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "But shouldn't we try to stop him from doing something so reckless? Even with a grasp on his new abilities, confronting Madara or Itachi at this stage is, frankly, suicidal."

"I wonder about that. He can be surprisingly levelheaded at times like these. Still, see if you can find any trace of his whereabouts."

Kabuto hesitated, and frowned doubtfully at the other two. "Why are they here? Is Jiraiya-sama somewhere nearby?"

"He could be, by now. But our meeting will be completely diplomatic, so you don't have to worry. For now, see what you can find about Sasuke-kun."

Kabuto was clearly dubious, but he left without asking any more questions. Naruto wondered how strange working for Orochimaru must be, if he and Obito were the most suspicious part of this whole situation.

"What do you mean, Ero-sennin might be around here?" Naruto asked. "How would he already know where we are?"

"If he doesn't know yet, it won't take long for the Toads to tell him after I've released the barrier around this base. But if his investigation skills are as sharp as I remember, he will at least have an educated guess. The desperation of finding you missing again might lead him to take that guess more quickly than otherwise."

Naruto felt the twinge of guilt and worry that was starting to become familiar. Once again, he wasn't sure whether to go chase after Sasuke, or to try to meet up with Jiraiya. But knowing Jiraiya was coming here made his mind for him. He would not run off and leave him with Orochimaru here.

Orochimaru flicked through a string of quick hand signs, and placed a glowing hand down on the center of the room, where they could see a faintly drawn circle that flared into life in response. Glowing ink lines radiated out from it in five directions and spread up the walls. A flash of blueish light illuminated the entire room for a second after the lines all connected in the ceiling, then the entire array faded and disappeared. Orochimaru stood up, then lowered his hands down to his sides.

"I can't wait to tell Kabuto I met his older self," Obito said. "When older-Kabuto was talking about Madara, did he mean…"

 _"Your_ older self. Yes." Orochimaru crossed his arms within the sleeves of his robe.

"I told you, he attacked while we were looking for Sasuke," Naruto said. "No offense, but we can't let Sasuke get anywhere near him. I saw what it was like when they were teamed up in the future."

"It may not be that simple, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru said. "You may not succeed at convincing Sasuke to come back, even without me standing in the way. Especially if he decides to make more new friends. Saving Sasuke, or saving the Obito of this time—it may not be possible to do both."

"That's why it's better not to let them meet up in the first place," Naruto scowled at him. "I never got to really explain to Sasuke about Itachi. If he ends up going after him now, Itachi'll probably keep trying to act like a bad guy, which will make it that much harder to convince him."

"Telling the truth about Itachi will only serve to aim Sasuke's hatred at the village instead. It is better to let Itachi maintain it as long as possible—that is what he wants, after all. He may resist your attempts to intervene."

"I don't care. I'm not going to let Sasuke or Itachi get killed. If Sasuke starts hating the village, but he still has Itachi, that's fine. If Itachi doesn't want my help, that's fine, too."

"Hm." Orochimaru gave a sideways smile. "Reuniting with Jiraiya should be easiest if you stay put here. But you should decide what the story is going to be. Will you tell him the truth about what happened here, or will you go on pretending you're not allied with all your enemies?"

Naruto scowled even more deeply. "I'm not afraid to tell him the truth—besides, _you're_ still my enemy. You may have helped us get here, but that doesn't mean I trust you."

"Then, we will tell the truth," Orochimaru said. "Tell me if you change your mind before then. Either way, I look forward to seeing what happens."

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Retrospection will post August 4.**


	10. Retrospection

**(posted 8/4/17)**

 **Shout out to 111segasonic! Happy Birthday! :D**

 **CHAPTER 10 | Retrospection**

 **Orochimaru** insisted that staying put was the best way to resolve Jiraiya's fears. Naruto suspected he just wanted to see the confrontation play out in person.

Though it was tempting to leave and find Jiraiya himself, Naruto knew he couldn't gloss over the incident this time. Finding evidence on Orochimaru was their mission, and as terrible as it was, at least _this_ would be the irrefutable proof they had been looking for.

Besides, Obito couldn't go home until he recovered enough to use kamui again. Naruto wasn't about to abandon him, but he didn't want to run into Jiraiya with Obito hanging around, either. Orochimaru was one thing, but Naruto still wasn't prepared to explain everything about Obito.

Orochimaru called his decision 'slightly disappointing'.

"That is where you are lacking the most right now. Saving everyone and keeping your integrity might be mutually exclusive pursuits. Don't forget the lesson your friends in the future learned."

Receiving lectures from Orochimaru, of all people, was a bad way to end an already bad day. Thankfully, the snake left them alone after that. He said he would continue looking for clues about where Sasuke went, but Naruto didn't really believe him.

Neither of them slept well. It was difficult to relax inside the stronghold of their greatest enemy, surrounded by dozens of empty rooms and dark hallways.

When Obito successfully used kamui to phase his hand into a wall the next morning, he said that he would be going home as soon as possible.

"I'll hang back and watch to make sure you and Jiraiya-sama make it out of here safely," he said. "I'll catch up with you sometime later. I still think we can help each other out. But I need to go make sure nothing has gotten too off track with my timeline."

Naruto knew first-hand that Jiraiya would be there soon, because he had sat using Sage Mode most of the previous evening. He could have sent a message through the Toads to explain things, but he wasn't even sure how he was going to explain it face-to-face, much less through a message.

When Jiraiya came crashing into the base with a lack of subtlety that resembled the worst of his student's own recklessness, Naruto realized a simple confirmation that he was unharmed might have been a good idea.

He and Obito were walking in one of the long halls when he heard the crash from inside the large circular antechamber. Naruto whirled around and saw a bright, angry light flare up from the end of the hall, and a heatwave blasted into the corridor, sweeping them with a dry, scorching breeze. They held up their arms against it to shield their faces from the heat.

"Wow," Obito said. "Leave it to a Sannin. I thought you said he was injured?"

"Ah, crap!" Naruto started running. Obito stepped sideways into the wall and disappeared from sight.

"Stop!" Naruto burst out the moment he ran into the room.

Burning puddles of oil sizzled on the floor. The air inside the chamber was stifling, but Jiraiya didn't seem to be affected—and neither did Orochimaru, who stood on the opposite end.

Orochimaru's face was drawn into a grin of pure delight. He held up a half-ram sign, eyes gleaming with intrigue.

"Oi!" Naruto said loudly. He didn't need Orochimaru starting a fight out of misplaced nostalgia. "Do you call this a 'diplomatic' meeting? Wait, why am I even asking that? Your standards for diplomatic aren't anywhere close to normal."

"Naruto!" Jiraiya looked concerned, confused, and maybe a little angry. "What is going on? Where have you been?"

Naruto inhaled deeply and instantly regretted it, as the air was still scorched and filled with the smell of burning oil.

He coughed. "Okay, first of all—gimme a second—that was really awesome—how come you never show me any jutsu like that? Second, I was in another time, I'm sorry. I'm not hurt," he added when Jiraiya came closer to give him a once-over. "I really hate to say it, but it was Orochimaru who helped me get back here this time. I had to ask for his help since he knew all about it. It's kind of complicated, but this Orochimaru here is the one from the future. The one who started it all."

Jiraiya looked sharply at Orochimaru. "I thought this wasn't supposed to happen again. You're… you're the one from the future?"

"Yes, Jiraiya." Orochimaru opened his palms and smiled pleasantly. "You have found what you were looking for: proof that what Naruto-kun told you was completely true, and the culprit himself is right in front of you."

"No, wait," Naruto grabbed Jiraiya's arm as he moved. Even though it was more out of concern for the injured man than anything, it felt strange trying to stop him. "He's not the one we need to be worrying about right now."

"What have you done to Naruto?" Jiraiya asked quietly, though he didn't move another step forward.

"Nothing," Naruto said. "I'm saying that we need to try to find Sasuke! He left here to go somewhere on his own while all of this was happening. There's just a lot of it you don't—"

"We suspected you allowing Naruto to return meant you had some larger scheme in mind. I'm guessing that has to do with this."

Naruto felt cold suddenly. Did they know that Orochimaru had controlled him—or at least guessed it?

"Not quite, but I can't say I'm disappointed with how things have turned out. It's fun to be back here. You haven't changed at all, Jiraiya. Perhaps you never will."

"Yeah? And what about you? Let me guess, the second you got here, you got rid of your younger self in order to go around in his place without anyone noticing."

"Hm. We have known each other a very long time, after all," Orochimaru conceded. "But my 'scheme', as you put it, is a lot simpler than you seem to think. I have been interested in dimensional travel for some time. As for why I decided to act on that interest right now, I'll tell you: because something changed that should not have been changed—could not have been, based on Naruto-kun's actions alone—as far as I can tell. I want to understand this."

"Wait, that's not what you told me!" Naruto said.

"What thing are you talking about?" Jiraiya said with a frown. "Do you mean everything happening in Kirigakure?"

"No. That has indeed changed, but I can guess the origin of that change. I'm talking about something closer to myself. That book you took from my base. I'm curious as to how it changed locations, especially considering the place you found it was, in my time, destroyed during the Kiri rebellion."

"I don't get it," Naruto said.

"To put it very simply, I don't think that jutsu was ever meant to be developed. What happened in my timeline may be an anomaly. That makes me all the more interested in studying dimensional jutsu."

"And why do you need to come here to study it?"

"Because this is my only option for now," Orochimaru said smoothly. "It's exactly as you guessed. I intended to make a contract with someone in another time, then send them back. I did it so that I could be reverse-summoned here when the time was right. As you can see, it worked."

There was no way that was true. It didn't match anything Orochimaru had already said. The lie made Naruto uncomfortable. Then it made him mad. Orochimaru was intentionally taunting him.

"No," he said loudly, pointing at Orochimaru. "That's not why you sent me back. You did it so you could see into the past. Using it that way wouldn't have…" Naruto lowered his hand. " _Could_ that have worked?"

"My apologies, you are correct. It would not have been possible to use you that way, thanks to Minato's interference."

"Why can't you just give a straight answer for once?" Naruto growled.

"Alright, I'll answer, if you can answer this: if two people you have sworn to protect tried to kill one another, who would you choose to save?"

He was thrown off by the unexpected question. But the answer was very simple. "I'd find a way to save them both."

"Ah yes, of course. But how far would you be willing to go in the process? Would you give up everything you want? Would you kill? You'll find yourself cornered with a very painful choice if you don't think about those questions beforehand."

"That's enough, Orochimaru." Jiraiya glanced down at Naruto, visibly concerned. "No matter what you say, or how you managed to get here, you're coming back to the village to answer for what you've done."

"It would be heartwarming to see the old village again in person. But I'd rather sightsee on my own terms. This is where we say goodbye for now."

Jiraiya's hair suddenly grew to many times its natural length and shot toward Orochimaru. But as the spiky mass wrapped around Orochimaru's form, he dissolved into a knot of snakes. The creatures slithered down to the floor and away in all directions. Naruto backed up with a disgusted look.

"Damn. He must have left a while ago," Jiraiya said. His hair shrank back to normal. "I got here as fast as I could, but with him lowering the barrier on this place… I knew he'd have something planned."

"This is so, _so_ not good."

"Yeah. But at least we get to walk away from this one. It could have been a lot worse." Jiraiya looked around the chamber. "I doubt we'll find any leads as to where they went, either. I think it's time we returned home."

"Wait, but… Sasuke is still missing!"

"I feel for you, but we have to return to the village, at least for a little while," Jiraiya said. "The part about looking for Sasuke was unofficial. Technically, we've completed our mission, and Tsunade will want a report so we can figure out what to do with this information. Not looking forward to that."

Naruto looked down at the floor. His stomach sank in disappointment, but he was hardly surprised.

"Here," Jiraiya added, and tossed Naruto his backpack. "You left all your stuff at the resort. And you left the room a mess. If you hadn't gone to another dimension against your will, I'd have had the hostess make you scrub the baths."

Naruto couldn't help but smile at that. He pulled his faithful orange-and-blue jacket from the bag. He never felt quite right without its comforting weight on his shoulders.

"Going home… at least I'll get to catch Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan up on everything that happened. Maybe if it's all of us, Baa-chan will come up with a way we can go look for Sasuke. We should bring him back as a team."

"Yeah, maybe. Just don't expect it any time soon. Orochimaru and Akatsuki are out there." Jiraiya ruffled Naruto's hair. "But for what it's worth, I think you'll manage it. Listen to your gut, not Orochimaru."

Jiraiya smiled, but the concern behind his eyes couldn't have been more evident.

They kept traveling until it was time to make camp, not stopping until they were well inside the Land of Fire. Jiraiya sent a message ahead to Tsunade after they settled down in a natural cave.

Naruto started planning out what he would tell the rest of his team when they got back home. Even if they all had to beg for an official mission to find Sasuke, he was sure they could get it done. Before Sasuke tried going after Itachi. Before he could be used by Tobi.

Jiraiya didn't comment when Naruto sat back against the rock wall and sat in Sage Mode with his eyes closed. After all, he had done it every day since they first left the village. It was partly to practice, and partly to search for Sasuke—though it had yet to succeed there.

"Any luck?" Jiraiya asked when the Mode ran out and Naruto opened his eyes again.

"No. I was really hoping I could find Sasuke now that he's not being blocked by the hideout's barrier. But I still can't see him."

"There could be any number of reasons," Jiraiya said. "Your Sage Mode may be one step shy of perfect, but your versatility with it is unlike anything I've seen. I don't think ability is the problem in this case."

"Itachi is still out there, too. I think he knows we're not close to the mountain anymore."

"Wonderful. Let's make sure we get home before he can catch up to us."

Naruto had sensed Itachi several times while they were staying at the onsen, but he never seemed to get close. Maybe that was more than just luck. Something about the mountain made it difficult for anyone to navigate, unless they were on good terms with the Toads.

If they encountered him again, it would be tense. But Naruto was not as averse to the idea as Jiraiya was. Maybe Itachi would have some idea of where Sasuke went. And if he didn't, maybe he could be convinced to help this time.

But Itachi never ventured close enough for a confrontation to happen. Even when Naruto checked again the next day, after they had camped all night, he was no closer to them before. In fact, he stayed exactly the same distance away the entire time.

* * *

Tobi arrived at the place Sasori had told him about, the red bridge among the long, sweeping grasses of Kusa. Maybe it was a sense of curiosity that led him here. Maybe it was because Uchiha Sasuke had shown admirable resourcefulness, finding a way to contact him in the first place.

He appeared, stepping out of thin air beside Sasuke's cloaked figure. The younger Uchiha didn't flinch, but threw back the hood of his cloak. His eyes were already glowing red.

"Madara."

"It is bold of you to come here alone. I hope you have something to say that's worth my time."

"I have looked at all the information Orochimaru has gathered about Akatsuki. All he knows about you is that you call yourself Madara, and you act separately from the others. But you were the one behind the Mizukage. You're an Uchiha."

"Of course I am. Or has the name Madara already been erased from the history books?"

Sasuke snorted. "No. But he died a long time ago. You, on the other hand, must have had a reason for surviving the massacre. You must have helped instigate it."

"You can believe what you want. I didn't come here to argue with a child. What do you want?"

Sasuke took a breath. "Akatsuki. I want to know what its goals are. How you plan on achieving them. And what your role is in all of this."

"Oh? Do you have an interest in joining us? I'm afraid you lack some of the necessary qualities."

"No. I plan on destroying Itachi and you either way. But it will help to know who I'm up against." Sasuke spoke calmly, but his posture was tense. "When Orochimaru was involved with the rebels from Kirigakure, he had a theory that the Mizukage was host to the three-tailed beast. And since the Mizukage was killed, we wouldn't have to worry about you anymore. It's because you need the three-tailed beast, isn't it? You can't do anything until it manifests itself again."

Tobi made no visible response. Sasuke's mouth tightened into a thin line. It was clear he expected to be attacked at any moment. But when Tobi spoke again, it was with the shade of near amusement.

"It's obvious there's more to your question than what you are asking. All right, I'll tell you… if there's something you can help me with in return."

* * *

Tsunade was prepared to meet Naruto and Jiraiya when they returned. But the homecoming was not as exciting as Naruto had hoped.

"What do you mean, they're not here?" he said, leaning over the desk.

Tsunade gave him a raised eyebrow. "Kakashi and Sakura are on a mission with Team Gai. Don't forget, we still have a village to run while you're off time-traveling and battling foreign leaders."

"It sounds like you're jealous, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya teased. "Is all the paperwork getting to you?"

Tsunade cleared her throat. "As I understand it, this Orochimaru _claims_ he won't do anything against us. But we know he is more dangerous than before—maybe even as dangerous as Akatsuki. Is that right?"

"I'm sure he gained even more power from absorbing his younger self," Jiraiya said, serious now. "If he combines his methods for immortality with the ability to travel across dimensions, he might be able to keep gathering power like that indefinitely."

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"So the fight has made it to our world. I hope this really is a first attempt. Maybe our Orochimaru isn't completely gone," Tsunade said.

Naruto looked from Tsunade to Jiraiya. As far as he was concerned, he didn't want _either_ version around. He didn't miss the younger Orochimaru at all, except maybe because he wasn't as powerful. It was easy to forget sometimes that Orochimaru had been their teammate.

"So, are we gonna go after him?" he said, breaking the silence.

"Orochimaru and Akatsuki are both threats, and they need to be brought down," Tsunade said matter-of-factly. "Akatsuki isn't likely to make any big moves for the next few years, but that's no guarantee. Our resources haven't fully recovered, so we can't expect to take both of them on at once. Still… I believe what you experienced in the future timeline is real. We don't know how much bearing it has on our world, but if there's any resemblance at all, something has to be done. But we will need help before Akatsuki gets any bolder. We can't do this alone."

"Do you think any of the other villages will listen?" Jiraiya said.

"Before this happened, I had already sent several ambassadors to try to set up a meeting. None of them have been successful so far."

"You should ask Suna for help!" Naruto said excitedly. "Gaara will listen! If they're on our side, the other villages might want to listen more."

"No," Tsunade said. "I will only ask them as a last resort. Gaara is not the Kazekage yet, though it seems some people have been talking about him. But after everything that happened at the Exams, and without an official leader, Suna will be sticking to their own business for a while."

"But—"

"Even _asking_ them would be a bad idea. They betrayed us to Orochimaru, of all people. It's not that I don't believe you. But it would be an extremely unpopular move, and we don't need that right now."

"Leave all that boring stuff to us. You should get some rest," Jiraiya said abruptly, steering Naruto by the shoulders to Tsunade's office door. They clearly wanted to discuss the problem without him interrupting every few seconds.

That was how Naruto ended up on the wide street outside of the Hokage tower with nothing to do, and no one to pester with ideas. So he hitched his pack on his shoulder and loped down the street in the direction of his apartment. At least he could prepare for the next trip out, whenever it would be.

Naruto's feet found the right path automatically. His eyes slid over the homes and shops, their faces very familiar and early-afternoon. So much had happened since leaving the village that his convalescence felt like a distant memory. Weeks spent in the hospital after months in another time, and he was gone after a couple of days. There hadn't really been a chance to see home again.

But Sasuke had been gone just as long. And that—for some reason, that mattered. It wasn't really home until they could all come home.

The place where they grew up was small compared to everything he now knew existed. But it was theirs. This world belonged to them.

Naruto paused. He didn't come this way very often, and suddenly he remembered why. It wasn't because he didn't know the way from here.

It was a street full of shops, just like any other in this area. It had a lot of open store fronts that always made it feel bustling and lively. The downside was that there were always a lot of people there, and everybody could see everybody else. And some of the proprietors here were ones he had never really gotten along with. Naruto's passage definitely did not go unnoticed.

It was really subtle—nothing compared to his Academy days. Just a couple of wary, sidelong glances. A man giving out samples deliberately smiled at someone behind him, so they wouldn't make accidental eye contact.

 _Don't stop here,_ their body language said. _We know what you are._

Something so minor would have barely been a blip on his radar last year. But the difference from the future was too jarring. He'd already forgotten long-ingrained habits like taking a different route home.

Grumpiness settling in, Naruto turned a corner earlier than planned, squeezing into a little-noticed alley to the street over. He kicked a rock hard and it bounced off the side of a building and spun into the dirt right in front of someone else. It was a familiar man with long, dirty-blond hair wearing a gray coat.

"Naruto-kun?" He looked over in puzzlement as Naruto emerged from the alleyway. "I didn't expect to see you back in the village so soon."

Naruto stopped a short distance from him. "Um… Ino's old man."

"Yamanaka Inoichi. It's been a while. You delivered ramen to us at the shop, remember?" The corners of Inoichi's eyes crinkled in a friendly smile.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to kick that rock at you," Naruto muttered sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't be a very good shinobi if I got nailed with that. I'm sure it would give someone a good laugh, though. I'm glad to see you out of the hospital. Even if you kept us in good business." Inoichi chuckled.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You had a good stream of visitors for a while there. The kids in your class, Gai's kids, all of you that were in the Exams last time. Even Ino—oops, I'm not supposed to tell you that, though." He put his hands together with an apologetic grimace.

"Oh, yeah," Naruto said, remembering. "Hinata said they came to visit me until Baa-chan made them stop because of health worries or something."

"So that was it. I got the feeling those kids were taking it personally, two members of their class disappearing at the same time. I worry about holding them back when we find out who was responsible."

Naruto wasn't sure what to say about the 'who'; he didn't know how much other people were allowed to know.

"We shouldn't be held back. We should all go after who did it, and find Sasuke while we're at it."

"Good point." Inoichi grinned. "Well, it was good to see you. Come by the shop sometime." He walked on, holding one hand up in a brief wave.

Naruto watched Inoichi leave. Then, remembering what he was doing, started off again toward home.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea, getting the others involved in finding Sasuke. In the future, they had worked together to try to get him back when he first ran away. Did it still count as the future if the moment had already passed? _Whatever_. Naruto was sure he could convince them to help. He just needed to talk to Kakashi and Sakura and come up with a plan.

Naruto ended up in front of his apartment door before he knew it. He fished around for the key in his backpack and turned the lock.

"I'm home," he said to the empty air before closing the door behind him.

The fridge was completely barren—no surprises there. He filled the electric kettle and went to his room while the water heated up. He tossed the back pack onto the floor and flopped backward on his bed. He'd gotten so used to training with Sage Mode that he closed his eyes and started tracing the strands of energy all around just by habit.

It always unfolded the same way. The strains of energy all around were like hidden smells that couldn't be sensed, unless you were trying to smell them.

It started around his body, his own circulating aura of energy. Then inevitably, another strand would interact with it. The vision-sense would jump into it, feeling everything it touched, like a droplet of water making a path along a window pane.

He thought maybe Itachi wouldn't be around now that he was back in the village. But he could still sense him. Itachi was further away than before, well outside of the village, but close enough that it couldn't be a coincidence.

Yellow eyes leered at Naruto through the dreamy colorscape. It was back. The cold, dry strand he'd felt the first time he successfully used Sage Mode.

Naruto opened his eyes and lightly touched his brow. It had hardly sunk in that the future timeline's Orochimaru was in this world now. How had it gotten to this point? They'd been so frantic, everything went by so fast that it was hard to tell.

Fear—no, it was _not_ fear. Fear was a stupid reaction when nothing bad had happened yet.

The ancient kettle rattled loudly in its base as the water started to boil. It came nearly to boiling over before automatically switching off. Naruto pushed himself up to go make his ramen. He poured the hot water in carefully, staring hard at the swirling cloud of steam.

"I'm watching you, too," he muttered.

There had to be a way Naruto could take advantage of this break. He had no idea when Obito would come back. There would be stuff to do once Kakashi and Sakura returned. And it might be a while before he got days off again.

Maybe now was the time for a bit of reckless action.

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Leaf-Hidden, will post August 11.**


	11. Leaf-Hidden

**(posted 8/11/17)**

 **CHAPTER 11 | Leaf-Hidden**

 **Dusk** always arrived early this time of year, but that evening, it was also short. Nighttime dropped down on Konoha abruptly, leaving the sky without stars, and the moon muted by smudges of gray.

Though there were several training fields outside the village walls, genin on duty weren't really supposed to be there after dark without a jounin instructor or chuunin squad leader. To get outside and avoid the hassle, Naruto would have to sneak out.

First he left a clone behind in his room in case anyone decided to look in on him. It would have been safer to send it outside the walls instead, but if meeting with Itachi went the way it usually did, a clone would get popped before it had the chance to say anything. He _had_ to make sure Itachi got his message. He wanted to prove he wasn't afraid to meet face-to-face.

And if Naruto got caught coming back, he could make up some excuse about losing track of time on the training fields. He was sure to get lectured for it, but that was something to worry about later. The first and most difficult step was to not be seen leaving in the first place.

Or so he thought, until he reached the gates and no one was at the entry desk.

It definitely wasn't the first time he'd seen it unmanned. But it was unusual for it to be that way at night. Naruto walked outside the gate and stood there, a little off guard after succeeding so easily.

The flickering lanterns outside the gate didn't illuminate very far. Shadows clawed at the edges of their light. Naruto glanced back at the gigantic doors, pulse quickening. He hadn't done something like this since he tried sneaking away to talk to a different Akatsuki member, Konan. Back then, it was quiet because Orochimaru had made it that way.

It was better to get a move on before anyone came back.

Naruto squared his shoulders with a quiet 'yosh!' and started off straight down the path, hurrying to put distance between himself and the circle of warm light. Soon it became dark and very, very quiet.

He decided to walk for a while, then use Sage Mode if it took too long to find Itachi. The trouble was that it required being still, and that's something he didn't want to do until he felt sure no one could see him from the gates.

Did Itachi know he was walking toward him? Did he realize that Naruto had been tracing him this whole time?

Soon the night completely surrounded him, with no sign of the gates or the light. Somewhere deep in the woods, a twig snapped, and Naruto's stomach lurched. But he kept walking forward resolutely. He knew Itachi would never give himself away with even the slightest noise.

Naruto walked until his exposed fingers and toes grew numb in the winter air. He stepped off the path—just enough to press his back to a large tree, not far enough to get lost among the many winding false trails. He closed his eyes and let himself sink into the vast, almost sentient energy of the massive tree.

During his stay at the onsen, a lot of his training centered around improving Sage Mode. In addition to using it in different poses and situations, he discovered it was possible to see clearer and farther by synchronizing with a tree or large stalk. Even though he didn't have a plant body anymore, something about his energy—the flavor of his chakra, as Fukasaku said—still worked well with plant life. Considering how close he'd come to _becoming_ a tree in the future, it felt like fair compensation.

Fukasaku theorized that the effect would be even stronger if he tried it with one of the ancient trees surrounding Konoha—since, in a weird way, they were almost siblings of the thing he'd been. That is what he intended to test now.

Gradually, the dark forest grew clear in his mind's eye. It was no longer invisible. Every single tree was a brilliant conduit of energy, lighting the forest more brightly than the daytime. Inside the massive network of roots and branches, no one would escape his notice, no matter how much they tried to hide their presence.

Itachi was there. He was close, _much_ closer than the last time Naruto checked. Maybe he'd noticed Naruto leaving the safety of the village, all alone. Now it was time to find out how good or bad a decision that had been.

He sensed Itachi pause, standing on the ground just a few meters away. But he just stopped there, and didn't do or say anything. Why?

Naruto looked toward him. Even the small movement felt strange, like he could feel it from without as well as within. Sage Mode didn't make it possible to see in the dark, but it hardly mattered when the lightest pressure of Itachi's sandals on the roots of a tree made the ambient energy curve lazily around him. He might as well have been lit up with a neon sign.

"Oi, it's cold out here. Are you gonna say something or what?" Naruto muttered, just to end the unnerving stalemate.

A pause. Then Itachi's voice, quiet and careful. "Who are you?"

"Huh?"

Itachi didn't respond. The energy around him shifted uncertainly. Then it heightened to a sudden peak, a sharp spike of murderous intent that made Naruto involuntarily step back, only to bump his back into the tree.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Naruto's heart was hammering again. This was a terrible idea, after all. "I'm _me_ , you know, Uzumaki Naruto, er—we've met before, right? Ok, so this is kind of weird, but I just want to talk—"

"That's not what I mean." Despite his murderous intent, Itachi sounded completely calm. A few seconds later, his energy settled down to a neutral level. "You disappeared in a way no one could understand, and when you came back you had abilities you should not have."

That explained it. Itachi was being cautious because he didn't know what had happened.

"That's what I want to talk to you about. Sort of. But mainly, I wanted to talk about Sasuke. Thanks for telling me where to find him the first time."

Itachi paused several seconds more. "I never did that."

"Er… you didn't? But I saw him—"

"No. From your reaction, it seems as though you didn't know. But I doubt something like that could be done without realizing it."

The energy shifted rapidly again, and Naruto's breath caught in his throat. Itachi's Sharingan had changed into the Mangekyou variation. He could suddenly _see_ it. It flooded all of his senses with a cacophony of different tones, or colors, that indescribable property of life and physical energy. It was terrifying and powerful in a way that he'd never really understood before.

The scenery changed. It was still dark, but everything around was visible. Even the clouds were somehow distinct from the night sky. They crawled across it in double time. Naruto stared, transfixed by the eerie sight.

"You will tell me everything."

The voice was behind him. Naruto turned around to the sight of a sword point aimed at him. He reached for a kunai, but all his weapons had disappeared.

A sharp clang, and the sword was blocked by another. Hovering in front of Naruto was a ghostly copy of Itachi, glowing a deep red that moved and shifted like flames. He was wearing a different coat and his eyes looked like a negative color image.

The strange red image held its other hand in a half-ram seal.

"Kai!"

The world plunged into darkness again. The air was crisp and cold once more, and Naruto could breathe. Overwhelming vertigo overtook him, and he stumbled and braced himself against the tree. He tried drawing energy from it, but it was back to being a silent hunk of bark. His Sage Mode was spent.

But the living Itachi seemed to be affected, too. He staggered, uncharacteristically heavy footfalls crunching the leaves that littered the ground. Naruto could hear him breathing unevenly.

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know. You don't have to attack me." Naruto stood straighter as he regained his balance. "I guess you didn't mean to show me where Sasuke was. Your older self must have done something."

In just a few moments, he couldn't hear Itachi anymore. He was back on the defensive again. Unsurprising, considering some bizarre ghost had countered one of his most powerful attacks.

Naruto was not sure that trick would work a second time. Nor was he eager to find out.

"This'll be a lot easier if you just listen to me!" he said, taking a step toward the last direction he'd heard Itachi. "It's like I've been saying. Everybody thinks I should stay away from you, but the fact is, I need your help."

"…Why?"

Naruto let out a long breath. That was way too big of a question. All this complicated stuff was hard enough to explain to people who _wanted_ to believe him.

"Because I still don't know where Sasuke is. He was there at the base with Orochimaru, but now he's gone. He left. Did you know that?"

Itachi didn't answer, but Naruto had a feeling he knew.

"And because… because I know you really do care about the village. _And_ Sasuke. And it would be nice to have someone like that on my side. Things haven't really gone as well as I've wanted so far. And you're the only person I can talk to right this minute who might be able to do something about it."

"I don't understand." The admission was quiet, but it carried. "How did you come to know all this? What happened to you?"

"Uh, my essence—my life energy or whatever, it was pulled into another dimension, and my body got left behind here." Naruto tried to explain it patiently, but he was aware of how little time they had to chat. The gates would be closing soon. "As far as I know, that place is just like how this one would have been a few years from now. It was the future. And I met the older version of you there, and he's the one that told me about everything."

Itachi was silent again. It was probably a lot to take in, but he had seen the proof. He could take the time to think about it later. Naruto pressed on.

"I think the older you left something to protect me in case we met up again. He said I shouldn't try to talk to you, but I guess he knew I wouldn't listen, 'cause I think you can help me save Sasuke."

"I can't—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you can't. Can't tell him what to do or whatever. This reason and that reason. But we better do something different than what happened in the future timeline, because your plan got seriously messed up in the end. You were able to get Sasuke to beat you, but then Madara told Sasuke the truth about you, and all it did was make Sasuke want to destroy the village."

A tense silence this time. Naruto wished he was still in Sage Mode so that he'd have at least some idea of how Itachi was reacting.

"But it wasn't just that." Naruto was building up steam with an unexpected emotion. "If he ends up turning on the village again, well, I just gotta figure out a way to stop him. But I can't do anything to fix him losing you. Even if he went on believing you deserved to die, I couldn't erase your blood off his hands. I'd rather him hate the village and still have you, than for it to be the other way around."

"If what you're saying is true, as I see it, I only failed because I underestimated Madara. If I change that, it seems everything else will be fine. I will take care of Madara myself."

Itachi's tone was dismissive, as if he didn't believe him, or didn't want to. Naruto heard a quiet rustle of cloth and imagined Itachi turning away.

"Wait! How can you say that? What good will it do for you to die over something like that? There has to be a better way!"

The movement stopped.

"I'm already going to die."

"What?" Naruto was annoyed. This wasn't the time for Itachi's cryptic fatalism.

"I am ill. At best, I might live another four or five years. At best."

More movement. A crinkling of leaves. Itachi was walking away. Naruto should have been relieved that Itachi was willing to let him go. But he couldn't think about that right now.

"Wait…"

He stepped forward, but Itachi didn't wait for him this time. Naruto abruptly realized he was alone among the silent trees, hearing nothing but the soft night breeze that played through them. He dropped his hand down by his side. He'd reached out without thinking.

Itachi was already far away by the time he was able to check using Sage Mode. All Naruto could do was return home.

Being in the woods had made him lose all sense of time. Stepping into the light of the open gates was like emerging from a deep sea onto the shore.

At least the gates were still open. Naruto tried to look nonchalant as he strode through the gigantic doors. His step faltered when he saw Izumo sitting at the entrance desk, but then he kept walking forward.

Izumo glanced up from the long scroll he was was reading and did a double take. Naruto kept walking. Maybe he wouldn't say anything—

"Naruto?"

Naruto stopped in his tracks, then slowly turned around. "Oh, hey, Izumo! What's up?"

"Did you just come from outside? I was about to close up!"

"Yeah, sorry," Naruto said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "I just went out to train for a while, but I guess I lost track of time! I've got this awesome elemental technique I'm working on, it's gonna be really—"

"Does Jiraiya-sama know you went out to train?"

"Um… _technically_ no, but he and Baa-chan were talking… and he sort of said I should go do whatever I want for a while." Wildly paraphrasing, of course.

Izumo gave a long-suffering sigh. "What would you have done if the doors were already closed? You know that you would have been dragged straight to Tsunade-sama if you had to get the ANBU to let you in. And that's if they decided to let you in at all."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, it won't happen again, blah blah blah."

"Naruto, I'm going to have to report this."

"Whaaat? Come on! Ero-sennin might not go with me next time if he knows I went without him. And Baa-chan will give me more D-rank missions to keep me busy. _Please_ don't tell them."

Izumo stood up, looking aggravated. "There's a good reason for the curfew, you know. The rules are there to protect everyone." He sighed and walked around the table. "You had better make me believe you'll be at home by the time I get done closing up here."

"Thanks, Izumo!" Naruto gave a wave and trotted off, hardly daring to believe he'd gotten away with it. It had taken some effort to act like normal, but it seemed to work.

He half-jogged the whole way home, too hyped up to take a leisurely pace—and the sooner he got home, the better.

* * *

Naruto made it back to his apartment without meeting anyone he knew. If any of the night watch ANBU were out yet, they didn't make themselves known. They hardly ever did.

 _Naruto._

Naruto paused in the middle of taking off his shoes. He resumed his actions slowly.

' _Kurama? It's not like you to start a conversation.'_ He placed his shoes near the door, frowning. _'Are you going to lecture me about how I don't need to talk to Itachi? Or maybe about letting Orochimaru get into the world? Trust me, I know.'_

 _No. I think you need to remember what you are. Not everyone in this village is on your side._

Naruto snorted out loud and stood up to go to his room. _'You think I don't know that? You should have been paying attention when we were out earlier today.'_

 _I don't mean those idiots who can't do anything. I'm talking about the ones who see us as a bargaining chip against the other villages. Tsunade wants to get help from somewhere else? What a joke._

' _It worked in the future. We just need to—'_

 _It only worked at all because people were desperate. You remember what it was like in the future Suna. It's much worse than that in this time. No one really trusts us._

' _Then what? We have to stop the war before it happens!'_

 _You can start by not giving them any reasons to lock us up "for our own safety"._

Naruto sat down on his bed and leaned back to stare at the ceiling, hands laced behind his head.

' _In the future, I kinda had to go along with what they said, since everyone knew more than I did. Now it's the other way around.'_

 _No it isn't, idiot! You know some things about a future that may or may not happen. You don't know anything about the present._

Naruto turned his head to look out the window, exhaling a quiet sigh through his nose. He argued with Kurama out of habit more than anything. It was obvious he had no clue what he was doing. But he couldn't let that stop him when there was so much at stake.

' _Okay, it was risky to go talk to Itachi. But I didn't know when I'd get another chance. I need him on my side. I'll try not to do anything else that could get in the way of Baa-chan trying to find help.'_

 _Are you sure you want her convincing people to take measures against Akatsuki? Since you seem_ _ **so**_ _worried about them._

' _The older Obito was the one to plot the war. I just gotta focus on him first, along with getting Sasuke to come back home.'_

 _Feh. Orochimaru was right about one thing: you can't do it all. Itachi and Nagato warned you about that, too. When you say you'll find a way without knowing how, at some point you just look like a fool._

Naruto closed his eyes. The adrenaline was fading, making him feel heavy and tired.

' _When I remember meeting my older self, I think he could do it. He would know enough, and be strong enough. But he's me, even if our lives aren't the same anymore. I'm not there yet, but I can be if I try hard enough. So, yeah. I'll find a way, even if I don't know how.'_

Trying to plan anything beyond that was too difficult. With Akatsuki—he didn't want them to get wiped out, but he didn't want the other jinchuuriki to die, either. It was easier to worry about Sasuke for now, _then_ Obito, and then the rest.

' _What about you, Kurama? What do you want to happen?'_

Kurama was silent for a long time. Maybe he hadn't expected him to ask that.

 _I want you to stay alive until Akatsuki is gone, so I won't have them harassing me somewhere else._

Naruto blinked and stared at the ceiling. 'I don't want you dead' was probably the nicest thing Kurama had ever said to him.

He grinned. _'I'll try not to let that happen.'_

Tomorrow, he would see if there was anything he could do to help convince the other villages. He knew it was possible, and the simple possibility was more than enough to act on.

* * *

Naruto ran down the stairs from his floor two at a time. He'd convince Tsunade to let him help somehow. Maybe he could go talk to Baki and Gaara and the people in Suna. There had to be some way to—

Naruto ran out the door to the street without looking and plowed right into someone. He nearly fell over, but a hand reached out to steady him. He looked up to see this time's Kakashi eye-smiling down at him.

"You're in a hurry. I heard you just got back home."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto backtracked. "What about you? I thought you were on a mission with Huge Eyebrows-sensei."

"We were. We came back really late last night," Kakashi said, and Naruto's insides froze. If they had come back a little bit earlier, they might have had a run-in with Itachi. "Our missions have been nothing but helping other teams lately. We didn't expect you to come back so soon."

"Ero-sennin got hurt fighting Orochimaru and Madara," Naruto explained. "But we found out a lot of stuff. I have to tell you guys about it!"

"We've been given the basics, but I haven't had the chance to talk to Jiraiya-sama yet. I came here to see if you were available for a team meeting at Ichiraku's right now."

" _Yeah!_ "

Those were magic words. Naruto followed Kakashi down the street, excited that his team was back. Now they could figure something out together!

Walking beside his sensei was a little strange now, too. Naruto was on his left side, the half with the covered eye. Kakashi didn't seem to mind, as he was too busy looking down at the book in his hand.

Naruto had learned about his past in the future, but that was somehow different from seeing it in person. He still hadn't told Kakashi or anyone about Obito, or 'Madara' in this timeline. He didn't know how to bring it up. But it was weird knowing so much about his sensei in secret. It felt wrong, worse than a simple lie by omission. But when was a good time to bring up something that painful?

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said suddenly. "If I didn't already know Sasuke had left when I woke up, would you have told me?"

"Hm? That's a strange question. It would be hard to hide the fact that he isn't here. There would be no point in trying. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno."

Kakashi closed the book and put it in his pocket. "Good, looks like Sakura is already here."

"Welcome!" Teuchi greeted as they stepped under the curtain. "Well, if it isn't Naruto! I'd like to know why you didn't come by before you left with Jiraiya-sama. I tried to take you some ramen when you were in the hospital, but I got turned away at the door."

"Sorry gramps, I was in a hurry." Naruto slipped onto a stool and grinned at Sakura.

"I wonder why?" Sakura said. "They let Jiraiya-sama bring you a cake as soon as you woke up. For your birthday, remember?"

"Eh, security reasons, I suppose," Teuchi said, though he still sounded miffed. "Well! What can I get for you?"

After they had given their orders, Naruto looked back at Sakura. "Ino's dad and Hinata said it was 'cause of health reasons. Didn't you know about it?"

"No, but I was busy a lot of the time," Sakura said. "And when I was there, no one ever said that to me. It just seemed like no one really came by after a while. But we all had missions to do."

"What else have you guys been doing since I left? Have you been training?"

"A little bit," Sakura said with a small smile. "I talked to Tsunade-sama, and she has been training me in between missions. It's mostly medical stuff right now, since there's a lot of that I can study on my own, but she said we can start training full time once the village catches up on its requests. Kakashi-sensei has helped me pick up some earth-style jutsu, too."

"What about you, Naruto?" Kakashi said. "What happened before Jiraiya-sama was injured?"

"Here you go!" Teuchi placed a big, steaming bowl of ramen in front of Naruto just as he was about to answer. "With extra pork cutlets, since I missed your birthday."

"Thanks!" Naruto eagerly grabbed a pair of chopsticks and pulled them apart. He dug in immediately while the other two were being served. No matter where or when, _nothing_ compared to Ichiraku's ramen. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had the chance to taste it.

"We all thought you'd be gone a lot longer, for training," Sakura prompted, lifting out some noodles and letting them hang down from her chopsticks until they cooled. "What happened to Jiraiya-sama?"

Naruto chewed his ramen and poked at a floating piece of green onion. Once again, he wasn't sure where to start. What mattered most right now was Sasuke. But the more he had to talk around all the other stuff, the more uncomfortable he felt. Especially since returning from the past.

"That fight was a while ago, actually. We were trying to find Orochimaru, so we could see if he was doing anything like… like the _other_ one. Something that might prove a connection. And to find Sasuke. And we _did_ find them, but then someone from Akatsuki showed up and threw everything off. I fought against Sasuke, and Ero-sennin had to fend off everyone else. But he's pretty much healed up by now. We came back because he wanted to tell Baa-chan what we found out about Orochimaru."

"You saw Sasuke-kun?" Sakura leaned forward, her noodles forgotten. "That means he was still—still himself, doesn't it? Was he—was he alright?"

"I don't know," Naruto admitted. Sasuke looked _relatively_ alright, better than what he'd been like in the future, but there was a different problem now. "I don't think we have to worry about him getting taken over by Orochimaru. But… we found them again, just a couple of days ago, and Sasuke wasn't there."

"Not there? You mean he ran away? Is he coming back home?" There was so much hope in Sakura's voice that Naruto hated to answer.

"Maybe. Orochimaru didn't think so," he hedged. "He thought if Sasuke was running away for good, he'd have done it differently—like, try to attack them instead of just leaving."

"You can find him, can't you?" Kakashi said. He had already emptied his ramen bowl while the other two were talking. "You are capable of using Sage Mode, which can track people over long distances."

"I can't," Naruto said bitterly. "Not unless he's really close by. Something's weird about his energy compared to other people. It blends in with everything else, and it's really hard to see unless he uses Chidori or something."

"Strange… well, I don't know much about the Sage Arts. At least, if he gets into any fights, you might be able to pick up on it," Kakashi said.

Sakura lowered her chopsticks without taking a bite and stared down into the broth.

"He has escaped, but he still won't come back," she said softly.

"Sakura-chan—"

"He won't come back until he settles things with Itachi. I know that. But at least you showed him we aren't letting him go that easily." She glanced aside at Naruto. "That's more than I was able to do. But next time, I'm going to be prepared. If he stays away from Orochimaru a while longer, it might be the chance we need to find him."

Naruto felt a rush of relief. "That's right! If we all go after him together, I know we can do it. We just need to find him. There are a ton of other ways—"

"Welcome!" Teuchi belted out automatically as someone ducked into the shop.

Naruto and Sakura turned around to see Iruka grinning at them.

"Iruka-sensei!"

"How's it going?" Iruka sat down on the empty stool beside Naruto.

"The usual?" Teuchi asked him.

"Ahh, no, maybe later. I'm just here to deliver a message." Iruka smiled aside at Naruto, but something about it seemed strained. Naruto could always tell. Something in Iruka's eyes betrayed concern.

"What is it?" Naruto mumbled around a mouthful of food.

"Tsunade-sama wanted you all to know, and I happened to be there, so I volunteered to come tell you. She says that we might have a lead on cooperation with Kirigakure."

"Kiri?" Sakura echoed. "After everything that happened with the Mizukage? Wasn't he just killed by missing-nin or something?"

"He _what?"_ Naruto hadn't heard that yet.

"About that…" Iruka glanced at Naruto. "Information from Jiraiya-sama suggests Akatsuki was probably involved in the Mizukage's death. Because of that, the new Mizukage is willing to listen to what Tsunade-sama has to say about Akatsuki. But they have one condition… they want Naruto to come with her to the meeting."

* * *

 **Chapter 12: On One Condition, will post August 18. See you then!**


	12. On One Condition

**(posted 8/18/17)**

 **CHAPTER 12 | On One Condition**

 **"Me?"** Naruto repeated.

"I see," Kakashi said. "And you don't think that's a good idea, so you're hoping he'll refuse?"

"There's no reason for Naruto to put himself at risk for this," Iruka said, a slight flush creeping into his face. "Jiraiya-sama will have to stay here while Tsunade-sama is gone, so he won't be there to protect Naruto from Akatsuki. Tsunade-sama is just as strong, of course, but a lot of her time will be taken up by the negotiations. The Mizukage insists both on speaking to her directly, _and_ on Naruto coming along."

"Then I have to go, don't I?" Naruto said. "It's fine with me. I want them to be on our side if we can do it."

"Do you know why they want Naruto to come along, Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asked.

Iruka frowned. "They seem to think he was the last person to talk to the former Mizukage before he died, but they haven't explained how they came to that conclusion."

"They don't think _I_ killed him?" Naruto stood up quickly from his stool. "Maybe they're right about me being the last to talk to him, but I didn't even know he was dead!"

"So you _did_ talk to him?" Sakura looked alarmed. "How? When?"

"Then they probably want to ask you about it," Kakashi said. "You didn't do it, but you know who did, isn't that right?"

"Yeah… I mean, maybe?"

"I'm sorry Kakashi, Sakura—can I borrow Naruto for just a minute? It won't take very long."

Iruka pulled Naruto out of the ramen shop without waiting for a yes or no.

"Iruka-sensei, it's fine." Naruto flailed his free arm in aggravation, but Iruka didn't stop walking until they were behind the shop.

The narrow alleyway contained nothing but a dumpster and a ventilator fan sticking out from behind the building. It whirred loudly enough to drown out all sound from the street and the store. Iruka crossed his arms and looked down at Naruto with a thunderous expression that he'd seen a million times before one of his famous yelling rants.

But Iruka didn't yell. Instead, he spoke in a voice almost low enough to be overshadowed by the ventilator. "Izumo told me you almost got shut outside last night."

" _What?_ " Naruto yelped. "Aw man, he said he wouldn't—"

"—Tell Jiraiya-sama or Tsunade-sama," Iruka finished. "But he thought it would be good for someone to lecture you about it, someone you might listen to. So he told me. What were you doing out so late, when you know how strict the gate closing is these days?"

"It's not a big deal." Naruto scuffed his shoe on the ground, avoiding Iruka's eye. "I just lost track of time. I didn't mean to get shut out or make you or Izumo get mad at me."

Iruka sighed. "It's not a matter of being _mad_ at you, Naruto… just… listen." He bent down and put his hands on Naruto's shoulders, forcing him to look into his eyes. "Do you have any idea what it was like when you disappeared? For the people around you, I mean. Has anyone ever told you what it was like?"

"Not— _exactly_ , but I pretty much know what happened during then—"

"We thought you were dead," Iruka said quietly. "Those three months. Worse than that. We thought you were _going_ to die, and we didn't know when, but we knew it was inevitable. Even Tsunade-sama knew, with all her medical expertise, she wouldn't be able to save you. They started talking about what might need to be done, what it might mean for the village if the Kyuubi was stolen. Not many people knew about it, but the ones who did were terrified. Terrified of losing you, or just afraid of another Kyuubi attack. And then, when you kept waking up, when you showed that you were fighting for your own life, things changed. There was a lot of hope, yes. But also a lot of uncertainty."

Naruto swallowed around the lump in his throat. He wished Iruka would have yelled at him instead.

"Maybe you're right, and nothing bad would have come of it," Iruka said, letting him go. "But Akatsuki is out there, and we've seen a preview of what could happen to you if they get what they want. Don't make us go through that again."

"I..." Naruto almost said _I won't,_ but it didn't feel sincere enough. He meant it entirely, but it still sounded fake, even in his own head. Less than twenty four hours ago, he'd done exactly what Iruka feared by meeting Itachi.

"Come on, let's go back." Iruka turned around. Naruto followed him back to the shop and quietly sat down in front of his cooling ramen broth.

"Iruka-sensei," Sakura said in a much firmer tone than he'd ever heard her use with a teacher, "our team will go to Kirigakure with Naruto. We'll protect him and make sure he doesn't ruin our relationship with them."

"Kiri does have its own defenses. And we can assume that they're hostile to Akatsuki." Kakashi said.

Iruka gave a sad smile. "You'll have a briefing with Tsunade-sama tomorrow morning. She wants to get the meeting over with as soon as possible."

He waited for a moment, as if hoping Naruto would contradict him this time. But Naruto was busy drinking down the lukewarm broth. He put the empty bowl down with a satisfied sigh.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei." Naruto turned around to grin at him. "I'll remember what you said, and I'll be careful."

Iruka watched him a second longer. Then, giving up, gave a small nod and ducked out of the shop.

"Well then," Kakashi said. "I suggest you all get ready to leave. Bring your usual mission gear. We may just be going for negotiations, but the region isn't stable, so be prepared to fight if necessary. We need to watch each other's backs. Sakura, you will provide medical support in the event we get separated from Tsunade-sama at any time."

"Yes." Sakura nodded, eyes sharp with determination.

"Naruto, have you picked up anything new since you left?"

Naruto looked across at Kakashi, who was watching him steadily with his one uncovered eye. There were so many possible answers that he could have burst out laughing.

"I've made a ton of progress with Sage Mode," he said enthusiastically. "Ero-sennin decided we should focus on me mastering it. It's a lot easier for me to use now. Maybe we'll get lucky and I'll be able to figure out where Sasuke is!"

"Good." Kakashi eye-smiled. "That won't be part of our mission, but if the chance happened to arise, I'm sure we could take it."

* * *

They headed out for Kiri before the sun came up the next morning. Tsunade quickly accepted the rest of the team coming along, and she chose Shizune to accompany her to the negotiations if they managed to make an alliance. No one seemed to think Naruto would be made to sit through all that, which he was grateful for.

Naruto yawned and blinked in the sunlight peeking over the horizon. It felt like they were going to walk right into it. He wasn't sure how long they had been walking already. The entire morning was lost in a half-asleep haze.

"How long are we gonna keep going?" he mumbled, trying to wake himself up by breaking the silence.

"The whole day," Kakashi said from in front of him. "We'll be able to rest once we reach the port and take a boat out to Kirigakure's main island."

"It's almost impossible for outsiders to navigate through the mist covering the sea, isn't it, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

Shizune gave a grumpy sound. She and Tsunade were behind them. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back to Konoha. I don't like that they made us come to them. If we didn't have such a strong need for allies…"

"Jiraiya can manage for a few days," Tsunade said. "They will have a boat waiting for us. Since we are specially invited guests, they will take us through the quickest route, which I assume does not include getting lost inside the mist."

Naruto gave a grunt of acknowledgment and stifled another yawn. He didn't mind a hard day's march, but it would be hard for him to discreetly check the area with Sage Mode until they made it onto the boat. Maybe he could volunteer to do it later, just as a safety measure. In reality, of course, what he wanted to check was whether Itachi was following him anymore.

He got the chance when they stopped a short while for lunch. Naruto suggested that he check the area out, and Tsunade agreed with a curt nod.

"Well?" Sakura said as he opened his eyes.

"I don't sense anybody really close to us."

"And Sasuke?"

Naruto shook his head, and Sakura looked disappointed.

It was night by the time they made it to the port. This place was nothing like the bustling port town Naruto had visited with Jiraiya. It wasn't even a town. There was a path leading up to a stone lighthouse, a collection of low, ancient looking buildings, and that was it.

They were directly over the sea at the base of the lighthouse. Naruto looked down and saw their boat bobbing down below, tied to a dock.

A man walked out onto the deck and waved at them with both hands.

"Let's get a move on," Tsunade said tersely.

Their guide was a local fisherman. He was not a shinobi himself, but he was used to dodging everything from missing-nin to pirates in his small boat. His weathered face broke into a large grin after they exchanged introductions.

"It's just me here. Mizukage-sama couldn't spare much in the way of security, I'm sorry to say. She thought you all might take better to someone ordinary like me, anyway. But I can get you through here safer and faster than anyone else."

The sea was calm as they glided their way through the final leg of the trip. After they had been riding a while, Naruto leaned over the rail as far as he dared, staring eagerly into the night for their first glimpse of the islands.

But soon after he started looking, they sailed into the heavy mists that gave the Hidden Village its name. It beaded on the rails and on Naruto's face as the wind tossed his hair into dripping spikes.

The boat jolted, nearly sending Naruto over the rail. He cried out and scrambled to right himself.

"What was _that?"_ he shouted.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura called from the doorway to the tiny cabin. "He said we're here, so come get your stuff."

Naruto looked up to see the dark outline of thin stone peaks that stood out here and there from the gloom. The mist had been so thick he hadn't noticed they were practically ashore.

They hauled their belongings out of the cabin and made their way along the gangplank onto the adjacent rocky ledge.

"I'm going to bring it around!" the fisherman shouted over the water lapping against the ledge. "You all just follow that path until you reach the gate!"

"They're not sending someone to take us into the village?" Shizune said, casting Tsunade a glance.

"They should be expecting us. Let's go." Tsunade started up the rocky path, her green haori flapping in the wind.

They all looked back and forth warily as they walked along the path. All Naruto could see was the mist clinging to the rock, creating shadows that moved slowly with the direction of the salty wind. It was very cold and damp. He didn't know if it was by intention or by instinct, but the adults started walking in closer formation, leaving Naruto and Sakura in the center of the group.

It wasn't until just now that Naruto started to think about what he was going to tell them. He had a pretty good idea of what had happened to Yagura and why he had gone to Konoha that one time, but would it seem suspicious for him to have that kind of knowledge? If they weren't going to mention anything about the Time-Spanning Incarnation jutsu, it was going to be tough to explain the cause for everything.

Not to mention, he'd had just about enough of meeting with pushy foreign dignitaries. They could definitely use Kiri's help, but he really hoped Tobi wasn't still lurking behind them.

A great stone wall loomed out of the mist in front of the group. Naruto looked up at it, awestruck. It was between two cliffs. There were shallow horizontal slats along the wall periodically, and lush evergreens spilled out from them, bending under the weight of fallen snow. It was a hanging garden.

A figure emerged, seemingly out of the mist itself, and Naruto felt a chill unrelated to the cold. This shinobi wore the mask of Kiri's hunter-nin.

"Right this way, please. Quickly." Their voice was light and whispery, difficult to remember and impossible to identify. "Mizukage-sama is expecting you."

They moved forward as one, every nerve on edge. As in Konoha, they passed through a grandiose pair of gates, but they had to wait for them to be opened by unseen workers on the other side. It shut behind them with the surprisingly delicate yet ominous sound of an enormous latch.

They soon found themselves at a narrow stairway carved into the side of a cliff. It zig-zagged as it went down what looked like hundreds—maybe even thousands—of stairs to the bottom.

Their guide silently motioned for them to follow. The stairway was so narrow that they had to walk in single file. Tsunade followed after the guide first, then Sakura, then Naruto, Shizune, and Kakashi.

It was even chillier out on the cliff face. The wind batted at them in seemingly random intervals, and occasionally they had to walk through a patch of frozen mist that left their clothes dotted with drops. The stairs were treacherously slick with ice.

But the view from the cliff was incredible. It was night time, late enough that there weren't very many lights on in the village down below. Powdery snow covered everything and made the night seem a little brighter than it really was. The village was dotted with round stone towers, like battlements, and the wall that snaked through the center made the whole place resemble a fortress.

Which it was, in a sense—just like all the other Hidden Villages.

Naruto stared so much that he kept slipping on the ice, but eventually he started using chakra on his feet to adhere to the stairs. He cupped his hands and breathed into them to try to bring some feeling back into his numb fingers. It would be so much faster if they would just run down the side of the mountain. Warmer, too.

They were all relieved when they finally reached the end. Sakura's teeth were chattering, despite the thick red coat she wore.

"We have prepared this outpost as temporary lodging for your group," the hunter-nin gestured at the squat, round stone building in front of them. "We apologize for having to place the Hokage in such lowly accommodations. It is an embarrassment, but in our current situation, we can't let anyone into the village center without extensive checks and identity verification."

"That's fine," Tsunade said shortly. "Some food and drink, and a place to rest is plenty enough."

Naruto had to agree. At this point, it didn't matter if they had to stay at an outpost or in a shed. He was cold and starving. His feet would have been aching if he could actually feel them.

Everyone else must have felt the same, because they easily settled into the refurbished outpost the moment they came inside to a warm fire and the smell of something that had been cooking for a long time. Whoever was responsible for setting it up had obviously tried to make it as comfortable as possible. The hunter-nin left them alone after showing them where everything was, promising that an ambassador would come for them tomorrow.

It was way past dinner time, but they all ate, and then it was immediately time to go to bed. The small building had only two bedrooms. Naruto hoped they would split according to teams so they could plot how they were going to look for Sasuke, but Shizune insisted that the women room together.

Maybe there would be time later. Naruto yawned for the hundredth time that day as he went into the other room.

"Kakashi-sensei?" he wondered aloud. Kakashi was standing in the dark, looking out the window into the vegetation and mist.

"Try to get some sleep. We need to be ready to move in the morning."

"Yeah."

Naruto was so tired that finally laying down felt like the ultimate luxury. He could have dropped off to sleep immediately, but he rolled over one last time to look across to the other side of the room. Kakashi was still looking outside.

He and the other adults were probably more tense than they let on. But if they convinced the new Mizukage to be on their side, they would be one step closer to protecting the world's jinchuuriki from Akatsuki. If they could do that now, then maybe they wouldn't all be lost.

"We'll definitely convince them," Naruto mumbled semi-consciously.

"Aa. Go to sleep."

Naruto couldn't think of a good smart retort, so he rolled back over and stared at the stone wall until he fell asleep.

* * *

"H-Hello! Welcome to our village!"

The ambassador that showed up at their door was nothing like what Naruto had expected based on his few interactions with Kiri-nin.

He had cropped blue-gray hair and thick square glasses. He was only a few years older than Naruto and Sakura, and he looked more nervous to meet them than _they_ did about being in a foreign village.

"Um, my name is Chojuro," he said, turning faintly red. "I am an aide to the fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei-sama. Thank you for agreeing to come here. If there's anything you need to do in the village, I will accompany you… um… otherwise, Mei-sama would like to speak with you as soon as possible."

"Do you know exactly what she wants to talk about, Chojuro?" Tsunade said, making the teen wince slightly at her blunt address. "I am grateful the Mizukage is willing to listen to us, but there seems to be some other motive besides giving us an audience."

"Well…" Chojuro adjusted his glasses. "Of course, we are still in the process of investigating what happened to Yondaime-sama… the truth is, we have other evidence that suggests Akatsuki could have been involved. What you have to say might confirm what we've put together so far."

"And Naruto? Why did she specifically request that he come along? It was tougher to do that than you might realize."

"What d'you mean? I wanted to go," Naruto said.

"I-I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. I don't know all of the details. But… you have my word that Mei-sama wants to improve things in Kiri for everyone, and start building a better relationship with the other villages. There is no way she means any sort of hostility toward you or Naruto-kun. There are some others who may not… um. At any rate, everyone in the village center supports Mei-sama, and will follow what she wants to do."

Tsunade nodded grudgingly. "Alright. I assume we're moving further in now?"

"Yes. If you don't mind, you will need to bring your belongings with you."

They packed up everything and left. Fully rested and fed, Naruto was more than ready to get going. If the new Mizukage was as reasonable as Chojuro made her sound, then they might have a real chance of finding their first ally against Akatsuki.

The real trick, as Kurama had not-so-gently pointed out the previous day, was finding a solution that would keep everyone alive.

* * *

"Let's not talk around each other," Mei said. "Our former Mizukage was the Sanbi jinchuuriki. And you, Naruto-kun, are the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."

After they had come to the round stone tower at the village center, very little time was wasted in getting to the point.

First Chojuro introduced Ao, a tall, stern man with an eye patch and complex-looking paper seals dangling from his ears. Then the Mizukage herself, Terumi Mei.

Naruto tensed. "How did you—"

"That has nothing to do with our discussion here, Mizukage-sama," Shizune said sharply. "Naruto—"

"No, I don't mind," Naruto stepped forward to meet Mei's gaze unflinchingly. "If there's something you wanna say to me, I'm right here. Just so long as you listen to what we have to say, too."

"My thoughts exactly," Tsunade said. "It's better to be direct. So, Kiri knows more than we thought. Is that what is this really about?"

Naruto noticed Ao staring at him, but he did his best to ignore it and focus on the Mizukage. Convincing her first was the most important.

Mei gave a sideways smile. "Sorry for being rude, but I believe this situation calls for honesty. It's no secret that Kiri faced internal struggle well before Yagura-sama's death. But things were completely falling apart in the months prior. Yagura-sama's behavior suddenly changed."

"So that is what Chojuro meant when he said you already suspected Akatsuki involvement," Tsunade said. Chojuro instantly turned red. Ao's harsh stare was transferred to him.

"In a sense." Mei glanced aside at them. "We suspected something long before that, but it was always difficult to find proof. Whoever manipulated the Yondaime was usually very careful about it. What's strange is them using such an important pawn so recklessly. To me, this means two things: controlling Yagura-sama was not their ultimate goal, and there was something _else_ they wanted badly enough to throw him away."

"I was tracking the Yondaime before his death, because of this unusual change in his behavior," Ao said. "To find proof that he was being used, and create an opening to make Mei-sama the next Mizukage."

"You mean you planned to eliminate him," Kakashi interjected. "No one seems to know how he died. From what we know about Akatsuki, they wouldn't have killed him without extracting the bijuu first."

"Then doing so would have been doubly good for the village, if it kept the bijuu out of Akatsuki's hands," Ao said harshly. "However, I didn't kill him. He made to attack this child here, and during that moment of distraction, the Sannin Orochimaru killed him."

"Orochimaru did?" Naruto blurted out. "But we left, so I didn't see that. I didn't know anything about it."

"I know," Ao said, staring down at him with his uncovered eye. "But you were the last person to exchange words with the Yondaime. And I think it's fairly clear _you_ are what the masked man went through so much trouble to find. That must be why he forced Yagura-sama to visit Konoha while his village was burning. What did Yagura-sama say to you before he died?"

"He… I don't think it was really him talking. Like you said, that masked guy was controlling him."

"Akatsuki wants all of the jinchuuriki. It's not unusual for them to go after Naruto," Tsunade said evenly. It sounded like she was trying very hard not to lose her temper.

"That part isn't what I'm concerned with." Mei leaned forward slightly, resting her fingertips lightly on the round meeting table. "We already know Yagura-sama was being controlled. What I want to know is exactly what they _want_ with all the jinchuuriki. There is another one from Kiri, still alive—but due to circumstances, he's not in the village now. I want to know about Akatsuki."

"They're trying to get a lot of power," Naruto said, not exactly sure how to summarize it. "The masked guy—he wants to gather enough power to cast a genjutsu on everyone in the world."

There were a few seconds of silence. Maybe that had sounded completely ridiculous. But it wasn't that easy to explain without the details. Naruto frowned.

"You see," Ao said, pointing at Naruto. "Why is he the one to answer? He may be Konoha's jinchuuriki, but he's not a high ranking shinobi. And what about the rumors that Akatsuki had stolen the Kyuubi? Where does all this inside knowledge about Akatsuki come from? Conspiring with Orochimaru, a former member?"

"Yeah, right!" Naruto said a little too loudly. "Why the hell would I wanna help Akatsuki _or_ Orochimaru? I want to protect all the world's jinchuuriki, too!"

"Naruto, be quiet," Tsunade growled. She stood silently for a moment, tapping her foot in agitation. Then she gave a quiet _tsk_. "The one thing I can guarantee is that Naruto had nothing to do with the Mizukage's death. He and Jiraiya were hunting Orochimaru _because_ of that rumor you mentioned, regarding the Kyuubi. We believed Orochimaru was the cause. Akatsuki probably showed up there because they believed the same thing. They didn't want anything interfering with their plans."

"You are claiming it was a coincidence they were there at the same time?" Mei raised an eyebrow.

Naruto stifled an irritated growl, grappling with the urge to defend himself. He didn't want to make the situation worse, but they had it all wrong. And there were far more important things to talk about, like how they could team up to stop the war.

 _Too many things_. He didn't hear Kurama say it, but he felt the sentiment.

"If I may, Tsunade-sama," Shizune said quietly. Everyone looked at her. "It _is_ true that Akatsuki has seemed particularly interested in capturing Naruto-kun ever since he… suffered that attack by Orochimaru. Is it possible that, aside from wanting to know what happened to him, they are _also_ concerned he might have intel on them?"

"Maybe. It doesn't matter. The point is whether or not Kiri is willing to work with us. If there's no trust, then there's no point."

"I want to work with you," Mei said. "Don't misunderstand; I'm just curious." She waved a hand. "We will discuss the details more at length later on. For now, I'll let all of you get settled into the village. I'd like for you to stay until the negotiations are complete, if that's possible."

"That depends on how long it takes," Tsunade said.

"Of course," Mei said, green eyes lilting with a smile. "We'll try to work efficiently for the sake of everyone." She motioned for Ao to follow her and walked toward a cluster of masked Kiri-nin in the far corner. The small group left through a door on the far wall, all trying to give Mei their reports at once. Only Chojuro was left standing with the Konoha-nin.

"Let's—let's get everything settled with your new accommodations, shall we?" he said, making a brave attempt to sound cheerful.

* * *

 **Chapter 13, Those Who Live With Monsters, will post August 25. Until then!**


	13. Those Who Live With Monsters

**(posted 8/25/17)**

 **CHAPTER 13 | Those Who Live With Monsters**

 **The** team's new rooms were more spacious than what they had at the edge of the village. They stayed in a round tower made of stone. It almost felt like a castle. It was understood that Tsunade would be handling most of the negotiations from then on, with Shizune by her side.

She even suggested that Team 7 could go home if they wanted to. Apparently she didn't want to run the risk of Naruto trying to explain himself anymore.

But Naruto wanted to stay. It was the team's first mission after the banquet—which he wouldn't even bother counting, if it hadn't been what led them to this point. Besides, he wanted to see the alliance work out.

"Freeloading extras should stay out of the way," Kakashi told them lazily the moment they split up at the guest rooms. "I don't mind if we stay, but don't expect this to be a vacation. We'll regroup in a couple of hours and run through some drills at the training hall so we can re-familiarize ourselves as a team. And don't go wandering off on your own. Just because we're in the city center, that doesn't mean it's safe."

Everyone was able to have their own room here, but their team was grouped together in a decidedly less fancy set of rooms than where Tsunade and Shizune were staying. Naruto didn't care. He threw his bag down on the floor and ran eagerly over to the window to look out. They were high enough in the tower that he could see all the way to the cliffside staircase where they came in.

Naruto used his break to take a nap and scarf down a meal bar. Then he and Sakura walked down to the training hall.

"Do you think we'll be able to track down Sasuke after this?" Sakura asked as they did warm-up stretches. "Or even Akatsuki. Once we have Kiri on our side, I mean."

"I dunno. I just hope Baa-chan can pull it off," Naruto said. "It's not like she has the best patience in the world, either. I doubt they'd ask her to bring me here and then let her hide us off in a corner somewhere."

"We'll get the chance. We just have to earn their trust." Sakura stood up and raised her arms above her head, stretching her hands out toward the ceiling as far as they would go. Then she lowered her arms and looked over at him. "It's true what they said, isn't it?"

"What?" Naruto was doing a back bend, and he looked at Sakura upside-down.

"You have the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed inside of you. That's what all this is about."

Naruto jerked, lost his balance and fell backward with a startled grunt.

Sakura walked over to stare down at him. "And you said Akatsuki is after the bijuu, including the ones sealed in people. That explains a lot."

"I forgot you didn't know," Naruto muttered. "I would've told you before, but I was too caught up trying to explain about Orochimaru and the time travel. Then me and Ero-sennin left and—"

"It's okay. I kind of had a feeling something was going on with you. We're on the same team. I could have asked you before now." Sakura held out a hand to pull Naruto to his feet. "But how did the Kiri people find out?"

"I don't know. But Yagura knew it, and I'm guessing that's because Akatsuki knows it. So they probably found it out because of him. Especially since they saw him come after me."

"So this means there really _is_ a reason for all the different villages to stand against Akatsuki. We'll find a way to get them on our side."

"That means the scheming should be kept to a minimum." The sliding door to the training room opened and Kakashi was standing there.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said, dropping her hands down by her side. "We're not scheming anything. Right, Naruto?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, though he had to search his mind just to be sure. "We're hoping to go look for Sasuke after this. Can't we do that if we do a good job here?"

"Let's focus on one thing at a time. Naruto, you mentioned that you made some progress with your element."

Naruto nodded. "I've gotten pretty good at making wind chakra. I tried to use the Rasen-Shuriken by combining it with my Rasengan. But it messed up." He looked down at his hand, unscarred thanks to the toad medics and his naturally quick healing. "It was when I was fighting Sasuke. He used Chidori and I lost control of the Rasengan. It just kind of exploded."

"Hm. And you didn't learn anything from your older self about how to keep it from exploding?"

Sakura glanced at Naruto. "Um, what are you talking about, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Don't worry, I already know that you know. Which is good, because your act still needs some work. Go on." Kakashi motioned for Naruto to answer.

Naruto grinned. "He said to use clones to control the different parts of it. I think I understand what that means a little better now." He paused for a second, smile fading. "But when it exploded, Sasuke got hurt by it more, even though I was standing closer to it. I don't understand that."

"That's probably because the wind element has a natural advantage over lightning."

"Huh?"

Kakashi sighed. "Maybe I should have explained that part first. Do you know about this, Sakura?"

Sakura puffed out her cheeks irritably, but she still answered as promptly as if they were still in the Academy. "Each of the five base elements is weak against another, strong against another, and neutral to the others. If two attacks have equal power, the element can determine which one cancels out the other."

But then she frowned. "Neither of you should be using attacks like that against each other."

"It just sort of happened. But still… I think we have to go all out if we want to bring him home."

"Just be cautious when using your element," Kakashi said. "Sasuke may favor lightning now, but his most powerful affinity will always be fire. It's the hallmark of the Uchiha clan. Fire devours wind, leaving it at a disadvantage."

Naruto thought about that one for a moment. "So, wind makes fire stronger."

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose."

Sakura gave a small smile despite herself.

"Okay," Kakashi started again. "Now that we have that lesson out of the way, let's see how close you are able to get with the Rasen-Shuriken. Don't fully release it in here, though. We don't want any collateral damage."

"Alright!"

* * *

To Naruto's surprise (and slight disappointment), no one from Kiri tried to talk to him for the rest of the day. Either Tsunade was doing a good job of keeping the attention off him, or they had been satisfied by the explanations Naruto and Tsunade already gave. He hoped he would get another chance to convince them to Konoha's side, but there were very few people in the tower where they were staying. The only hint of Kiri residents he saw were the eerie masks of a pair of hunter-nin at the front entrance.

They trained until it was time for dinner. Once again, some unknown person cooked for them; this time, it was a delectable selection of seafood that would have been luxuriously expensive in Konoha.

By the time they stopped training for the evening, Naruto had the feeling that they might not get the chance to influence the Mizukage's opinion. He wanted the chance to talk to her one-on-one, without Ao or Tsunade there to moderate.

Naruto went to bed deciding to do everything possible to find a way to get close to the Mizukage's group the next day. The beginnings of a plan were taking shape in his mind. Mei had mentioned another Kiri jinchuuriki. Maybe if they could work to find and help him...

At some point while trying to think of ideas, Naruto fell asleep.

When he heard someone moving around in his room, he woke abruptly, and was halfway out of bed before he even knew that he was awake.

"Relax, it's just me." It was Obito's voice, and he was whispering. "I came to check things on this side. Did everything with Orochimaru work out okay afterward?"

Naruto slid his feet to the floor and pulled the string on a lamp on his bedside table. "I was asleep. Why do you always gotta show up in the middle of the night?"

Obito blinked in the light and yawned. "Sorry. This is the best time for me to sneak out. It's not my fault our timelines follow the same schedule. Or if it is, I didn't know." A pause. "Where is this, anyway? Where's Jiraiya-sama?"

Naruto sat down on the edge of his bed. His brain was still foggy with sleep. "Uh… he's back in Konoha right now. Tsunade-baachan made him stay back at home to watch over the village. We're in Kirigakure right now. We came here to try to get their support against Akatsuki."

"We're in Kiri?"

"Oh, yeah! That reminds me," Naruto said, waking up slightly. "I've been thinking of a way I can help them _and_ get them on our side at the same time. The last Mizukage, Yagura, just got killed not that long ago. He was the Sanbi jinchuuriki. They have another jinchuuriki that's still alive out there, but they don't know where he is. I was thinking I could track him down and bring him back here. They might cooperate if I show them I really wanna help, plus it would be a good thing to do. If you're here, we might be able to—"

"Forget it," Obito interrupted flatly.

"What? Why? It'd be easy. I can track him down, and you can take us to him. If it gets too dangerous then we could just leave."

"I'm not going out of my way to help Kiri." Obito crossed his arms and looked away, wearing an ugly expression that reminded Naruto of his future self. "Don't you remember what old-Kakashi said? Like hell I'm gonna try to help them with their jinchuuriki now. They can tear themselves apart for all I care."

Naruto scrunched his brow. "Obito… the older you spent a lot of time controlling the Mizukage, and made life miserable for everybody here. That's why all this is happening. I thought you didn't want to be like him."

Obito shrugged impatiently. "I'm not going to be like him. I just don't want to help Kiri, alright? Not everybody can be as forgiving as you. It's not normal."

"You're going to save Rin." Naruto injected his voice with as much confidence as he could. "You should tell tou-chan about what happens on that mission. He should be able to call the whole thing off, right?"

Obito shook his head. "Even if he does, Kiri won't give up on their plan. They'll just use the next team that comes along, or kidnap somebody else. The village will still be in danger. I'm trying to figure out a way to keep that from happening at all. But before that, there's another thing I have to deal with first—the mission at Kannabi Bridge."

"Yeah," Naruto said vaguely, rubbing his eyes. He hadn't committed to memory all the details of what happened in Obito's past. He'd had no idea he would be involved someday.

"That's why I'm here. I just found out Kakashi is about to make jounin."

"So that means…"

"Old-Kakashi said that's the sign we're going to that place soon. I've been looking and listening around, and I think his promotion has a lot to do with them needing to send Minato-sensei out on more important solo missions like this one. If Kakashi is a jounin, they can send us out doing the same level of stuff we always do, without Minato-sensei being there."

"What are you gonna do? Isn't that where you almost get killed?"

"I don't want to stop the mission," Obito said reluctantly. "We _do_ need Minato-sensei to fight against Iwa, and I don't want us to lose the war. I'm not worried about what happens to me. But even if it's not Kiri this time, I will never let Rin get captured. No matter what."

"I'll help you. We can take them out, or make them go somewhere else so they don't have a chance."

"Yeah. If you come along, I can keep watch over Rin and Kakashi, while you use your Mode to keep an eye on everything else. I'll be back as soon as I find out more. Around this same time, I guess. Try to be by yourself, or at least not around any Kiri-nin." Obito made the same face as before. Then the space around him swirled, twisted, and then he was gone.

Naruto slumped back on the bed. It was extremely risky, agreeing to help Obito while they were in the middle of negotiating with Kirigakure. It'd be _really_ suspicious if they knew he met someone from outside the village. And how long would it take to help Obito out with that mission?

Guess it was time to start thinking up some good excuses. Naruto turned off the light, but ended up spending way too long staring at the dark ceiling. He'd forgotten to ask Obito if he'd told anything else to Minato.

* * *

Naruto's first attempt to contact the Mizukage without interference began with dodging the team's scheduled warm-ups.

So far, Kakashi seemed determined to fill all their free time with actual training. Naruto would have appreciated the effort normally, but now he found it highly suspicious.

He sneaked down to the bottom floor, hoping that the two masked Kiri-nin would still be there.

They were—or at least, two of their colleagues were. Unlike the ANBU, the hunter-nin all wore the same mask, which made it even more difficult to tell them apart.

"Um, do you know where they're having the meetings?" Naruto asked one of them. Silence filled the intervening space, and Naruto thought they wouldn't answer. But then the hunter-nin he addressed spoke smoothly:

"Mei-sama discusses treaties in the main hall, where the most important civic functions are held. But there are no meetings today. Mei-sama and the Hokage are in the outer city, discussing security and trade options in the event of an alliance."

"Huh? What about going after Akatsuki?"

The hunter-nin didn't move or speak. Naruto couldn't see their expression, either, but he still got the distinct feeling the elite shinobi thought he was an idiot.

"That sort of action is not what our Mizukage seeks for the village at this time," the other hunter-nin said, more politely.

"What do you mean?"

Both of the hunter-nin looked up, their postures straightening. Naruto heard a voice from behind him.

"Naruto-kun, if I may have a moment?"

"Hah?" Naruto twisted his head around to look and nearly had a heart attack when he saw Ao standing there. "The—old lady Mizukage's tracker guy!"

"Do _not_ call Mei-sama that." A knot was forming in between Ao's eyebrows. "Hmph. The Konoha jinchuuriki is as uncouth as I expected."

"Yeah? Maybe you should think about what you call other people, too," Naruto fumed. "My name's not 'Konoha jinchuuriki', it's Naruto. What do you want?"

"I only wanted to talk with you personally. You have clearly been restless ever since you arrived, so I will humor you a while. I would not mind the chance to speak with you further about my investigation."

Naruto almost retorted that he wasn't interested in Ao's investigation, but that was more stubbornness than truth. He had already revealed something that Naruto didn't previously know—the nature of Yagura's death. Maybe there was even more to find out.

Ao jerked his chin in the other direction. "Come with me. As you heard, there are no meetings today. But I can show you the meeting hall."

It seemed like he just wanted to get out of the hunter-nin's earshot. Naruto wasn't about to disagree. He fast-walked after Ao, trying to keep pace with his swift strides.

"I told you, we were just looking for Orochimaru. I didn't even know that masked guy was controlling the Mizukage until Orochimaru said it."

"What I saw aligns with the claims you have made," Ao admitted. He crossed his arms behind his back as he walked. The roomy sleeves of his gi fluttered with his movement. "I was not close enough to hear, but I am skilled enough at reading lips and body language to believe that none of you expected the confrontation."

"But I didn't see you anywhere near there. And if you believe me, why do you keep asking if I've got something to do with Yagura? I didn't know _anything_ about him until a few months ago."

Ao paused and looked up. They were in front of the largest round building in the village center. It was the same place they had gone into on their first visit.

"Our village was once known as the Bloody Mist because of the harsh measures our former leaders imposed. I believe Mei-sama is the one who will bring us forward into a new era, but this business with Yagura makes the situation more complicated than it already was."

Ao frowned at the hall, then started walking again. "Our leader was manipulated—that is the truth. Many among our people won't know what to do with that information if it comes to light. Instead of having the ease of simply blaming Yagura, they will have to admit it was our own shortcomings that led to this disaster as much as anything else. People prefer the security of hard answers. That is why we cannot let you go without telling all you know—especially not if Konoha expects any sort of cooperation from us."

"But it's Akatsuki's fault, not you guys'," Naruto said. They walked under the curved arch of the stone entrance to the main hall. The temperature instantly dropped inside the dim stone building.

"No. We have grown weak, and our weakness is what allowed it to happen. I don't approve of an alliance with Konoha. We don't have the resources to waste on pursuing Akatsuki. You asked the guards about the negotiations. It would have been against their duty to tell you, but the reason they are out in the village today is to asses the possibility of lingering rebels making an attack. That is why we cannot spare anything. Your Hokage offered to help secure our defenses as part of the alliance, but all I see is another outside group eager to take advantage of our weakness."

"It's not like that—and why would they attack here, anyway? I thought they were just trying to overthrow Yagura, and he's gone."

"There have always been multiple factions at work inside the village," Ao said. " _Our_ group has never stooped to attacking our own home or antagonizing coastal towns. The ones responsible are not necessarily on our side. They're little better than pirates."

Naruto looked outside one of the round windows as they walked along the edge of the wide foyer. Even at the height of noon, the Kiri horizon looked hazy. Most of the snow had been swept from the streets of the city center, but the weak light attested to the season.

"Baa-chan doesn't want to help just because it will gain some kind of advantage," he said in a low voice. "Neither do I. Yeah, I admit, I was kind of hoping you'd be more willing to listen if I helped you find your missing jinchuuriki. But I would want to help him anyway, just because. I guess I understand if Kiri can't do anything against Akatsuki right now. But I'm still going to do whatever I can."

Ao turned his head back to look at him, but then continued forward without comment.

They went through a different door than last time. The meeting room was not as impressive as Naruto expected. A polished stone table sat in the center, surrounded by metal frame chairs with overstuffed cushions, but there was little else in the room.

Chojuro was sitting at the table, surrounded by a bunch of scrolls. He looked up when they came in and stumbled to his feet immediately.

"A–ah! Ao-san, Naruto-kun! What is, er—what are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ao barked. "A member of the Seven Swordsmen should be out protecting Mizukage-sama."

Chojuro winced. "I was—we came back! Mei-sama and Tsunade-sama wanted us to look through some records."

Shizune came into the room from another door across from them. She had an armful of scrolls and looked tired and very put-upon. It appeared the two Kage had simply shoved off the work on their assistants.

"Does this have to do with the group that attacked the coast?" Ao said.

"Yes. There is a chance some missing-nin from the Yondaime's era have started coming back to—"

"Alright," Ao cut him off. "I want a briefing on what you have found, as soon as I get back from returning Naruto-kun."

"Wait, I want to know too," Naruto said in a rush as Ao ushered him toward the door.

"You will stay in a guarded location where it is safe," Ao said firmly. "Now that we know what Akatsuki wants and why, your involvement here is over."

"But I can help! You said those guys had to do with Orochimaru bugging Madara, right? Orochimaru's not on the coast anymore, so you guys probably don't have to worry about—hey!" Naruto looked back one last time and saw Shizune shaking her head before he was pushed out.

True to his word, Ao walked with him all the way back to the tower they were staying in, more pulling him along than following. At this rate, Naruto knew it was only a matter of time before they _did_ make Team 7 go home. The arrangements were probably already being made. When that happened, he'd be completely out of the loop and unable to affect whatever happened.

But their precautions were pointless. Orochimaru was no longer interested in the same things. Plus, the enemy that was after Naruto the _most_ couldn't be stopped by walls or guards. It made no difference if he was in Kiri or Konoha.

"Stay here," Ao said firmly as they arrived. "If there is anything else you need to know, someone will come here."

"So you'll tell us when you find out about the rebels, right?"

Ao stared down at him, his expression more forbidding than ever.

"If it concerns you, then yes. We _certainly_ will."

He turned swiftly, causing the slips of paper attached to his ears to swirl and dance.

"Naruto-san," the more polite of the Kiri hunter-nin said, a questioning undertone in their voice.

* * *

"Naruto?" Sakura said when he entered the training room, sullen-faced. "Where have you been? Kakashi-sensei's late too, of course—I've been here for three hours doing nothing but stretches and chakra control exercises."

"Have you seen Kakashi-sensei?"

"Obviously _not,_ I just said he was late."

Maybe Kakashi was in on it too. Maybe he was planning to take them back home. Damn it! Everyone was in the loop but them.

"Something's going on," Naruto said, starting to pace restlessly. "Maybe something else happened out there, but they don't want to say it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Instead of doing meetings today, they're busy investigating whoever attacked the coast. Why would Baa-chan suddenly want to do that when we came here just to talk?" Naruto stopped walking. "We're gonna get shipped back to Konoha before we get the chance to do anything."

Sakura gave a concerned frown. "So, let me guess… you want to do something before they have the chance to?"

"We could find out more about it," Naruto turned to her enthusiastically. "Whatever happened, it probably has something to do with Akatsuki down the line."

"I don't know, Naruto. I get what you're saying, but you don't have any proof of that, do you? Aren't the negotiations the most important thing right now? We don't want to lose Kiri's trust at this stage. There'll be plenty of things we can do at home, even if we get sent back."

Naruto knew Sakura was right. But they were not going to be pushed out of the action just like that. Even if all they could do was look through old records with Chojuro and Shizune, there had to be _something_ they could do to help.

"Okay, look: at least we can convince Baa-chan and Kakashi-sensei to let us stay. If we help out, maybe we can _all_ go home faster, and I know Baa-chan would want that."

"Yeah," Sakura said doubtfully. "Maybe we can get Kakashi-sensei to tell us something. But if that's the case, we need to stay here and not cause any trouble, like he said."

Naruto gave a reluctant nod, but his thoughts were already traveling in a different direction. He knew a way to get inside the main hall without being caught. All it required was a little help from another time.

* * *

The small battery-operated clock beeped quietly. It was set to rise in volume every five seconds, but Naruto shut it off after the first ring.

He didn't know for sure if Obito would show up, but he wanted to be ready to go in case he did. Somehow, he had to convince the Uchiha to help him investigate. After that, getting out would be the easy part.

Naruto rose from his bed and checked his backpack. He bent to made sure his weapons and belt pouch were stocked. It would probably be good to leave a clone, like last time—

Naruto heard rapid footsteps outside his door and he stood up.

"Obito?"

His door opened with a sharp snap. It wasn't Obito.

It was Ao, and his face was taut with grim urgency.

"Naruto-kun! Come with me right now! The city center is under attack."

"Huh?" The statement didn't register at first.

"You need to get away from here," Ao said. He strode into the room and grabbed Naruto by the arm.

"Hey—wait, what is going on?"

"There is no time. The intruders have already ransacked the more prominent towers. We'll be trapped in here if they find out where you are."

Naruto got steered through the doorway and into the hall before he turned around to look the opposite way. "What about Kakashi-sensei and Sakura?"

"Others will alert them to the situation. They are not the ones whose lives are in danger right now."

If his life was in danger, that was all the more reason to have them by his side. Naruto twisted his body to walk back in the other direction. Ao pulled him back with even more force, then easily caught the punch that Naruto hurled at him with his free hand.

"Stop this! We may be able to regroup later, but getting you out now is the top priority. I'm sure they would agree."

"Like hell they—"

"Naruto?" Sakura ran up to them, slightly breathless. "What's going on? I heard some people yelling, and saw smoke outside my window—"

"Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

"I don't know. I still haven't seen him."

"If you must come along, then don't slow us down," Ao said severely. "Ask questions later. We need to move."

He started down the corridor at a run. Naruto followed after another moment of hesitation, and Sakura followed him. There was no doubt Kakashi could take care of himself, but where was he? Had he been out this whole time?

Naruto could smell the smoke before they even made it to the street. It was so strong he thought for sure the tower was on fire, but they made it out without seeing any hint of flames.

But the street was clouded with smoke. The dried-out husks of Kiri's many hanging gardens were all aflame. Sakura yelped as something fizzled and exploded uncomfortably close by.

"Stay close to me," Ao said. "Hurry!"

Naruto held his sleeve over his face and squinted through the haze. He could see Ao's back, bobbing in front of them as a slightly paler patch of darkness, but little else.

"What are they burning?" Sakura coughed. "All the buildings are made of stone."

If Ao heard her, he didn't bother to answer. They turned down side roads and twisted around corners so quickly the two genin could barely keep up.

The air was becoming noticeably cleaner and quieter than before. Ao had them pause in the shadow of a squat tower with dark windows. He didn't say anything. He just stopped as if listening, his brow furrowed with concentration.

"What makes you so sure they're after me, anyway?" Naruto whispered. He couldn't tolerate the silence.

"Akatsuki," Ao said. "One of them is a missing-nin from Kirigakure. He is here."

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Burning Sea will post September 1! See you then!**


	14. Burning Sea

**(posted 9/1/17)**

 **CHAPTER 14 | Burning Sea**

 **Naruto** and Sakura huddled behind the stone building with Ao.

Akatsuki had come to find them.

"How did they know you were here?" Sakura looked at Naruto, an edge to her voice.

Ao stood tense with concentration, leaning against the wall. "It's not clear whether this is the same group that attacked villages along the coast. If it is, perhaps Akatsuki found a way to use the Yondaime's death to their advantage."

"Maybe they think the other Kiri jinchuuriki is here. Maybe they don't know," Sakura said.

"They are well aware that both our jinchuuriki are gone. Naruto is the only one Akatsuki could be after."

Naruto's breath quickened more than when they were running through the smoke. Orochimaru, the one who belonged to this time, had also claimed the rebels were working with Akatsuki. But Tobi said they were just searching for the missing Rokubi. Naruto had no idea what was the truth.

If someone from Akatsuki was here, that meant Tobi might be here, too. He couldn't instantly locate Naruto the way his younger counterpart could, but that wouldn't matter if he had an army of missing-nin to help him search.

"He's right, Sakura-chan. One of the Akatsuki guys who came after me before had a slashed Kiri headband. He was working with Itachi."

"Does that mean Itachi could be somewhere, too?"

"No other Akatsuki members have been spotted so far, but that means nothing," Ao said. "Many of our ships have already been set on fire. They're trying to keep anyone from escaping the island. That man, Kisame, is bound to have traps on and under the water as well. Few people know the surrounding sea better than him."

"If there's no way out anyway, we should fight back," Naruto said, fists curling.

"We haven't exhausted all other possibilities—" Ao abruptly cut himself off and straightened his posture. "The enemy has caught on to our trail. There will be less cover and backup if we move further away from the center. We'll go around the edge and try to meet up with Mei-sama."

Naruto exchanged a look with Sakura. Ao had to be a sensor-type. That would explain how they managed to avoid everything, even in the smoke.

They kept running through the quieter part of the village. Naruto's senses were nothing compared to what he could feel in Sage Mode, and he wished he had enough time to use it.

But whatever was pursuing them possessed an energy large and strange enough to make his hair stand on end even without it.

"If they catch up, keep moving forward!" Ao called out.

It felt like the sentence had barely left his mouth before the enemy caught up.

Naruto looked over his shoulder and saw a face with a sharp-toothed grin. Then, out of the darkness, a swipe with a wrapped _thing_ the Akatsuki member had strapped to his back.

The wide arc of the strike looked and felt incredibly slow, but there was still no way to move fast enough to avoid it. Naruto jumped, intending to push off it as a springboard to get around the shark-like man. But getting away was not so simple. As he landed and pushed off from it, sharp spikes tore through the wrappings and raked his left leg.

Naruto landed clumsily from a lopsided jump. The scratches hurt, but there was more than that, something besides the physical sensation of pain. Something intangible was ripped away and left behind, velcro ripped from invisible hooks. Naruto grunted but kept running; the thing he thought was just a weapon _squirmed_ and let out a guttural screech. He didn't have to turn around to know that another swing was bearing down on him.

"Doton: Doryuheki!"

An earthen wall sprang up between Naruto and Kisame as the Akatsuki member took another swing. Naruto barely caught a glimpse of Sakura's own yelling face carved into the stone before the barrier cracked and exploded.

"Let's go!" Sakura pushed him hard in the back, and Naruto hobbled along as quickly as he could with his shredded leg. Seeing him stumble, Sakura threw his arm over her shoulders.

The inner wall curved up ahead. Following Ao's advice, they followed around it instead of trying to cross over it to the other side.

It was hard to tell what was going on with the wall blocking their vision on one side, but the smoke was thinning out more, and even the sounds of battle started to fade away. They ran for minutes without seeing or hearing anyone.

"Is he still following us?" Sakura panted out.

"I don't know. Maybe Ao-jii stopped him somehow, or—I don't see anyone out here! We should go back and help."

"We might be the only ones who know where Kisame is now. We have to tell someone," Sakura said fiercely. "Besides, he's after _you_."

All the buildings they passed had darkened windows. There wasn't anyone on the street. But as they ran back into a patch of thicker smoke, they could hear shouts and the clash of metal.

Tsunade, Mei, Chojuro, and a group of at least thirty Kiri-nin were were in front of a gate from the outer city. The two Kage were not letting anyone get by them.

"Shishou! Mei-sama!"

"What are the two of you doing out here by yourselves?" Tsunade turned around toward them. "Ao was supposed to escort you to the ships before they all caught on fire!"

"We're not sure where Ao is. He got caught up when that Kisame guy attacked us. He needs backup!" Naruto said, calling above the noise to get Mei's attention.

Mei glanced back at him. "Understood. Thank you." She turned to the Kiri-nin closest to her and relayed orders to them that he could not hear.

Meanwhile, Tsunade rounded on Sakura. "I need you to help Shizune look after the injured. I've sent some of Katsuyu's clones with her."

"Yes, shishou."

"They need more help out on the outer west side, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi was suddenly among them.

"Where have _you_ been all this time?" Naruto demanded.

"I think we were right. There are more people here than just those who were fighting against Yagura," Kakashi said. "Some of them have been attacking indiscriminately, and civilians are getting caught up in it. More people are getting injured from the fires as well, especially as it spreads to the outer zones where there are more wooden houses."

"Damn." Tsunade tsked.

"Go, Hokage-sama," Mei said. "A medic would do them more good than anything I could do. And we still need to hold the center."

Tsunade looked at Naruto, then Kakashi. "I don't like this, but you can take Naruto to the others. They might be able to get out while Kisame is occupied. Sakura, come with me."

She motioned, and Sakura glanced at Naruto.

"Here." Sakura pushed something into his hands. It was a roll of bandages. "For your leg. It will speed up your natural healing enough that I think you'll be fine." Then she followed promptly after Tsunade.

"Alright," Kakashi said, glancing down at Naruto as well. His hitai-ate was pulled up, exposing his Sharingan eye.

"The 'others' Ao reported are close by at the northern bay. It seems your village was prepared for something like this." The corners of Mei's lips tilted in a slightly cool smile. "I agree. Get him out of here. We won't let them win."

"I can fight, too," Naruto protested, stepping toward Mei. "If this is because I'm here, then I want to do something. Even if there's the rebellion and other stuff behind it too, I don't care, I have to—"

"No. It's bad enough this happened while you were our guest. But I think you will be a good man someday, if you live long enough to see it. Go on, we'll be fine here." She nodded at Kakashi.

"Let's go, Naruto. Don't worry, it's just as dangerous where we're going. Most of the ships have already caught on fire."

Naruto looked in the direction Tsunade and Sakura left. The only ones remaining to defend here would be Mei and Chojuro, and the Kiri-nin that hadn't left with Tsunade to help the other side.

"But—"

With a rallying call, some brave missing-nin pushed through one of the inner gates, and more vaulted over the top. Mei inhaled deeply and shot out a bright stream of molten lava from her mouth. When it hit the ground, it sizzled and sent a plume of smoke and steam into the air. It smelled of sulfur. The enemy backtracked quickly, yelling instructions to each other.

"Go, or very soon you won't have the chance," Mei said, wiping lava from the corner of her lips.

"O-Ok."

Naruto followed after Kakashi, looking around as well as he could. Whether the fires were getting closer, or the wind had shifted, the air was growing cloudy with smoke.

"What were you all talking about? Who are 'the others'? We're taking one of the ships?"

"If possible. I'll tell you when we get further away from here."

They could still hear the shouts and crashes of combat in the distance, away, back to where Mei and her group still were. Naruto was having second and third thoughts about following orders. They wouldn't accept him sticking around, but maybe if he found a way to give Kakashi the slip, then hid somewhere to get into Sage Mode… the trouble was the escaping-from-Kakashi part. If it hadn't worked against his younger self, it probably wouldn't work now.

They had to take a detour around the fighting in order to make it out of the city center and beyond the ring of houses and shops on the other side. There were more trees here, and they could see the fire well before they arrived down at the beach.

This was clearly not Kiri's main port, or much of a port at all. Just the sea that washed gently into the land, the beach, and a line of trees further back. But there were boats moored there against long docks that extended into the water, waiting. A few larger ships were floating further away, but they were nothing but ruined, charred skeletons.

They crouched in the shadows, looking out at the boats. Most of the ones left were fairly small fishing boats, similar to the one they had arrived in. Naruto glanced aside at Kakashi, who was staring at the destroyed ships.

He followed Kakashi's gaze to a particular ship nearby. It was the only one with people around it and on it, though it was hard to see them in just the light from the moon and stars and the distant fire. There were no visible lights on board, and the shadowy figures couldn't be heard from there either.

"Naruto… be careful."

"Huh?"

"When Tsunade-sama assigned you and Sakura to that mission at the banquet, we didn't know the former Mizukage would be there," Kakashi spoke quietly, but clearly. "It was written off as a communication error since he arrived at the last minute, but I don't fully believe that. At least, not since _another_ communication error resulted in a rescue ship being sent for you. They arrived before we even knew about the attack."

"What?" The words sunk in very slowly.

Kakashi pulled the hitai-ate back down over his Sharingan eye. "Just do me a favor and don't try to make trouble with these guys until Tsunade-sama and everyone else can back you up."

"Wha—who are they?"

"ANBU and jounin from our village. They probably showed up here right after the rebels did. If they want to take you back home, I'm alright with that. But don't give them a reason to think you might be better off stuck there for good."

It sounded a lot like the advice Kurama had already given him. But what was going on?

"I'll try," Naruto muttered. "Why do we have to go talk to them, though? It sounds suspicious to me."

"What matters right now is getting you away from Akatsuki. Just be careful."

"Aren't you going to go down there with me?"

"Yes, but I thought you could use the reminder first." Kakashi gave him an eye-smile.

They crept closer, keeping inside the shadows until they were quite close. It looked like the rescue team had done well to secure the immediate area. No rebels were in sight, and only the smoldering husks of boats revealed the struggle that must have recently taken place there.

Down at shore level, it was easier to see people on the dock. There were masked figures that could be mistaken for Kiri hunter-nin—but Naruto soon realized they were Konoha's own ANBU.

Naruto instinctively glanced up and down the beach, looking for a promising place to run if he got the chance. He already didn't want to go home, but he _especially_ didn't want to go like this.

Kakashi stayed close beside him, as if sensing his intentions.

"We can sort it out later. Don't," he muttered.

The dock they walked toward had an ANBU standing on either end, and one beside the wide gangplank leading up to the boat. He acknowledged them with a silent nod and a thumb pointing up to the deck.

The deck was just as dark and silent, but they walked below, through a door and into a dimly lit hallway.

They found only a small group of shinobi inside the boat's cabin, but Naruto faltered in his step when he saw them.

Most of them wore ANBU masks. One shinobi Naruto recognized was the special jounin Genma. The other was Yamanaka Inoichi.

He was the one who turned to Naruto now, his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes in the same friendly way as before.

"I'm glad the two of you have made it back." He noticed the bloodstained tatters of Naruto's pants leg and frowned. "What happened? Where are Tsunade-sama and the others?"

"A member of Akatsuki is leading the attack. They're staying back to help," Kakashi said. "Naruto would have done the same, but I convinced him to come along." His tone was blunt.

Naruto swept his eyes over the three ANBU, Genma, and Inoichi—five in total. Had they been waiting for him all this time? The night had gone from dangerous to bizarre, and he wasn't thrilled with the shift.

"Why are you here?" Naruto spoke up loudly, in case anybody tried to shush him. "And why are you just sitting around when Baa-chan and old lady Mizukage are out fighting to protect the village?"

Genma sighed. "I get how you feel, but that's not what we're here for. It's a long story, but basically, we're here to make sure you haven't been compromised."

 _ **[**_ _Don't worry, Naruto-kun._ _ **]**_

The second, silent voice appeared in Naruto's head so quickly after Genma's statement, he wasn't sure which part made his face scrunch in confusion.

"Huh?"

"We're here because your existence is important to the village, whether some choose to acknowledge it or not," Inoichi said. "Your possible capture at the hands of Akatsuki several months ago proved that, in some ways."

When Inoichi spoke out loud, Naruto immediately recognized that _his_ was the silent voice. That didn't make things much less confusing.

 _ **[**_ _They suspected the fourth Mizukage's connection with Akatsuki. They put you around him to watch his reaction to you being alive. It was a message: we still have the Kyuubi._ _ **]**_

"Uh… ok." Naruto looked down at the floor, thinking hard. He instinctively knew it was better to react to what Inoichi said aloud, rather than ask a multitude of questions about what he hadn't. "So, I guess you all are gonna tell me to come home where it's safe?"

"No. They want to make sure it's safe to _take_ you back home," Kakashi said. His voice was calm, but there was a coldness to it Naruto had never heard before, even in his younger self. "It's because you lost the Kyuubi and got it back again. Inoichi is here to check for genjutsu or mind traps that Akatsuki may have put on you… to make you a timed weapon against the village."

"It's a tactic Kirigakure has been known to employ in the past. We know that Akatsuki used Yagura as their tool within Kiri. It's very plausible," one of the ANBU said.

They were flat wrong, because Akatsuki hadn't been responsible for Naruto's disappearance.

But only a handful of people knew that.

And they were also right. He _had_ been put under a genjutsu by Itachi. More than once. And worst of all, he had Orochimaru's control tag. It was exactly the sort of thing they were afraid of. But who cared? It wasn't what they thought. It was a half-true hunch that pointed to entirely the wrong conclusion.

"Don't think of it as an accusation," the same ANBU continued. "It's just a security measure. It would be entirely possible for them to have done something without your knowledge. It's for your own safety as well. If there isn't anything, then there's no harm done."

"Is this security measure approved by Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi asked pointedly. "My understanding was that you were just taking him home."

"It's better to dispel any concerns as quickly as possible."

" _As quickly as possible?_ " Naruto burst out. "There's a battle going on and you're worried about something stupid like—"

Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder, and Naruto looked up at him. Kakashi's one coal eye was narrowed at the ANBU, but his grip warned Naruto not to argue. "No. You're injured. I don't think now is a good time for you to be fighting any battles. And this _is_ a waste of time, but Inoichi's technique is the best in the village. It should be over with soon. Right?"

"Yes," Inoichi said quickly. "If you could just sit over here, Naruto-kun. We can have the others stand outside, if it helps you clear your mind."

Naruto looked at him and then back at Kakashi again, willing him to come up with a way out of this. Why was he going along when he knew Akatsuki hadn't done it? They would find out about him going to the future, at the very least, and he still had Orochimaru's seal…

Wait. That _was_ why. Kakashi probably trusted Inoichi, and he didn't know there was anything suspicious to be found. Naruto hadn't told him anything about Orochimaru's seal. He only knew about the time travel. And it was too late to explain now.

Genma sighed. "Come on, we'll stand guard outside."

He and the others left. Kakashi nudged him forward, and Naruto walked with stiff limbs to sit on the long wooden bench built in to one side of the cabin.

 _ **[**_ _I'm sorry about all this,_ _ **]**_ Inoichi said to him silently as he picked up a chair and moved it around in front of him.

Naruto glanced at Kakashi again, trying to figure out if he could hear the voice, too. But his sensei gave no reaction. He had leaned back with his head tilted toward the door, as if listening to make sure the others had really left.

 _ **[**_ _I was against coming here to ambush you before you got back home. I think the alliance is a good idea. We should be standing together against Akatsuki, not do their work for them by antagonizing each other. I'm not the only one who thinks so, either._ _ **]**_

"Did you guys know this attack was going to happen?" Naruto asked as Inoichi sat down.

"I would say not. We were sent to follow behind and help if there were any problems. If we had found out about this in time, we could have gotten you out before anything happened."

 _ **[**_ _I didn't know. I can only hope that no one else did._ _ **]**_

"Whenever you're ready, close your eyes and try to empty your thoughts. It will be easiest that way."

Naruto closed his eyes. _'Kurama, he's going to find out about everything!'_

 _You dug your own grave this time, brat._

Naruto took a deep breath. He could just kick Inoichi and run, but how far would that get him? The elder Yamanaka seemed to be on his side. Maybe there was a way he could explain before things went too far south.

Out of habit, Naruto started to sense the ambient energy in the air as he concentrated. He felt Inoichi move before the man's hand rested lightly on his forehead. The hand shone very brightly in the sensory-visual scape. The energy was calm and nonthreatening, but as it brushed against his own, there was unintentional but stout resistance. His fear was getting in the way.

Naruto half-expected some sort of scolding or accusation, but Inoichi said nothing. Instead, the energy shifted and changed direction, diminishing in intensity. Naruto didn't even realize it had gotten past his defenses until he heard Inoichi's voice in his mind again, much more clearly than before. It sounded just as clear as if he was speaking aloud.

"Do you remember anything about what happened?"

Even though it felt like he was right there, Naruto couldn't 'see' Inoichi within his mind space, the way he had seen Itachi in the future. Naruto was in the great seal room, but Kurama wasn't bothering to face him. Naruto turned around, curious in spite of himself. All he saw behind him was a blank wall. The passageway that once appeared there in the future was gone.

Then Naruto sat down cross-legged on the surface of the water, facing the bars of Kurama's cage.

"Yeah," he said, assuming that Inoichi would hear him. "I remember everything, actually. It wasn't Akatsuki that captured me. It was Orochimaru from another dimension. Baa-chan, Kakashi-sensei, and a few others already know about it. You guys didn't know because we didn't want people to find out the power to cross dimensions existed. I guess Kakashi-sensei thinks you won't tell anyone."

Images flashed through Naruto's mind—not by his doing, he realized with a jolt. It was memories. Fragments that supported what he was saying. Relational links that jumped from one image to another. Naruto didn't know how Inoichi was able to find them with such a little bit of information, but he clamped down on his nervousness quickly. Maybe if he avoided talking about, avoided _thinking_ about what he didn't want Inoichi to see, it wouldn't be a problem.

"…I see. Tsunade-sama made the right decision, I think. I don't understand how this was possible, but just knowing the existence of something like this could be dangerous."

Naruto let out a long breath. "The masked Akatsuki guy came after me to figure it out, but I don't think he knows anything yet."

"This is remarkable. The same people exist in the other dimension, but they are all a little different."

Naruto saw his older self grinning at him. He told him they had the same soul. That he would grow up to show the world what he was capable of. There was Kurama. The one from the future, and the one from the present. Kurama—

There was an audible snarl, and a hot bright flash blanked the image out. Naruto grabbed his head and leaned forward with a cry of pain.

He blinked in the real world. There was no hand on his face now, but the place of contact burned, a burn that was quickly fading. Inoichi was on the floor, and Kakashi was helping him sit up.

"Inoyaji!" Naruto jumped to his feet. "I didn't mean to—what happened?"

"He was pushed back suddenly," Kakashi said, casting him a tense look.

"I'm alright," Inoichi said in a strained voice, letting Kakashi pull him back into the chair. He was holding his own head now, wincing. "It was the Kyuubi. It suddenly forced me out. It said—no, it channeled all its power and disdain back at me. It seemed to take our security measures as a personal insult. What a terrifying energy…"

Naruto stared, trying to understand what had happened.

"The signs of genjutsu control over long periods weren't there, either. I think we can safely assume you haven't been under a genjutsu all this time like the Mizukage was." Inoichi lowered his hand. His expression was normal, but his face was pale and clammy. "And since you cooperated, Naruto-kun—however nervously—I don't think there's anything to worry about."

"The Mizukage may have been collaborating with the enemy to start with. That might have lowered any resistance the bijuu could have given him." Kakashi said.

"Yes. It could have startled subtle, over a long period of time. Especially if the manipulator was skilled enough—"

The ship tilted violently to the side, pitching them all in one direction. Naruto slid on the bench all the way to the far wall and braced himself with his hands to keep from face planting into it. Inoichi's chair tipped, but he and Kakashi both reacted in time to keep from being hit with any flying furniture.

The ANBU outside were shouting. One of them burst through the door even as the room continued to tip sideways. "The ship's been hit! Everyone get out! It's going down!"

"Is it Akatsuki?" Kakashi said. He grabbed Naruto by the back of his jacket and peeled him from the wall.

"We don't know. We're still searching for the cause."

"Ao said Kisame probably put traps under the water," Naruto said, but the ANBU was already gone.

The boat groaned and cracked. Naruto climbed out of the open door and skidded down the sloped hall and out into the night.

Their boat wasn't on fire yet, but the flames had returned, turning the trees on the shore into giant torches. Naruto jumped into the inky water, as close to shore as possible. He wasn't interested in running into any of Kisame's traps.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called after him.

Naruto decided to ignore him this time. The chance he could give them the slip were still pretty small, but he was fed up with being cooperative. He looked over his shoulder and felt like he had swallowed his own heart when he saw several of the ANBU charging after the hulking, back lit figure of Kisame on the surface of the sea, walking toward them casually with his sword over his shoulder. One great swing made blood spray into the salty water.

Any possibility of escape sank into the shallows along with the boat. It was down to a fight, ready or not.

Naruto needed some cover to get into Sage Mode. That was the only chance he had against a member of Akatsuki. His eyes swept over the beach and he spotted a small wooden shack some distance from the furthest reaches of the tide. It seemed far too exposed, out in the open, but it would have to do. Naruto ran toward it, stumbling in the thick sand as the salt water stung his shredded leg. He felt certain Kisame could see him darting across the sand, but there were no shouts, no one running after him.

When he looked back before going into the shack, Kisame was still there, holding up the gigantic sword to block an ANBU's attack. Maybe he hadn't been seen. Either way, he hoped Kisame would stay occupied for long enough. Naruto wrenched the door open and dived into the cramped space.

He shoved life jackets and old nets out of the way to sit on the floor. The first thing he did was roll up his pants leg and hastily wrap Sakura's bandages around the long scratches left by Kisame's weapon. He needed to be able to run faster.

Whatever the bandages were infused with felt soothing. Hopefully the Mode would help him heal even more.

Naruto sat still to concentrate.

All the training had paid off. Even with the distraction of fighting outside, and fire that could choose to come his way at any moment, Naruto was able to push all of it into a corner of his mind and focus on Sage Mode.

The power responded quickly, as if it had just been waiting for him to reach out to it.

His body was light as air, but strong. The energy was a part of him, natural as breathing, alive and familiar. The feeling of power was immensely satisfying after all the uncertainty and running. He felt strong enough to pull the remains of their boat out of the water if he had to.

When Naruto slipped out of the little shack, he left a clone behind in his place, leaving it there to gather more energy. That was the most he could manage for now. He had two shots at this.

* * *

 **The international melee will continue September 8 in Chapter 15: Allies Are Not Friends Are Not Enemies. See you then!**


	15. Allies Are Not Friends Are Not Enemies

**(posted 9/8/17)**

 **CHAPTER 15 | Allies Are Not Friends Are Not Enemies**

 **Kisame** turned his sharp grin toward Naruto immediately, dispelling any doubt that he'd known his location all along. Kisame broke through the group with surprising speed and lashed out at Naruto with the monstrous weapon for the second time that night.

This time, the sword was easier to evade, not just due to its size, but because it lit up in Naruto's Sage senses as brightly as a person—a _shinobi_ would. He could have moved around it in total darkness, injured leg and all. Naruto jumped up and over so that it sailed underneath him, just out of range to steal his energy.

"What _is_ that thing?"

It was not just a weapon. It did more than absorb chakra. He could feel energy coming _from_ it, like it was alive. Kisame continued swinging it along its arc, and Naruto braced for it to pass by again.

But when he moved aside to dodge the second pass, he stepped into a powerful kick in the chest that sent him down to the ground, landing hard on his back.

A feint. Naruto's breath was knocked out of him. He felt ribs crack, and the pain made it difficult to inhale.

Naruto's healing might have been accelerated by the Mode, but it wasn't enough to let him jump back up right away. Before he could move, Kisame brought an anvil-like foot down onto his chest again, pressing him into the sand over the sound of cracking bones and a spluttering cough.

"How boring. This would be more of a challenge if you used the Kyuubi," Kisame said. "You can bring it out, right?"

He dug the sword into Naruto's left shoulder, where it chomped down using a grotesque mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Dozens of sharp edges dug into flesh and bone. Naruto would have cried out, but he still couldn't take a breath.

All the Sage chakra he had built up was devoured in seconds. The sword let out a high-pitched whine in response to the energy it consumed, but Naruto couldn't tell if it was reacting out of enjoyment or pain.

"Naruto!"

Kakashi came at Kisame with a fist full of lighting. Kisame pulled the sword up to block the strike.

Naruto dispelled the waiting Sage clone, and he felt strength and oxygen return to his body in a dizzying rush. While the sword was occupied, Naruto grabbed Kisame's ankle with his good hand and pushed him with all the force Sage Mode could give him.

He wanted to throw Kisame all the way across the beach, but he had no leverage from the ground. Even so, the massive Akatsuki member slid backward then stumbled several yards, using the sword to anchor himself to the ground. Before he could fully regain his balance, Kakashi took advantage by catching Kisame's other leg with a sweep. Kisame pushed off the sword and jumped into the air, never losing his shark-like grin.

Naruto rolled and stood as quickly as he could, ignoring the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. They had the numbers advantage, but Kisame's raw power already threatened to overpower them.

He was the target. Plus, he had almost a full round of Sage Mode left. Naruto thought if he could find a way to direct Kisame's attention, maybe the jounin and ANBU could come up with a strategy. At the very least, they'd be able to attack more easily against a distracted opponent. Even more importantly, the more the Akatsuki member was focused on him, the less time he'd have to hurt anyone else.

"Hey, Fishface!" Naruto called out to Kisame, who had to deflect Kakashi once again after landing. "If it's the Kyuubi you want, you'll have to do better than that!"

Naruto turned and started running in the other direction, making tufts of wet sand fly with every step. It was a highly unsophisticated plan, and he hadn't thought it out past phase one: keep Kisame on the defensive.

As expected, Kisame followed after him, but not in much of a hurry. He didn't need to be. Despite the boost given by Sage Mode, Naruto could only run a little faster than normal with his injuries. The Mode was too busy trying to recover from whatever the sword took. The bite on his shoulder oozed through his jacket and left his arm swaying painfully by his side. If he couldn't lift his arm, he couldn't make any seals.

But Summoning should still be an option. And he could expel enough wind chakra from his other hand to cut, even without the use of a jutsu. It only worked at touching range, though.

 _What happened to Ao-jii?_

Naruto grit his teeth against the intrusive thought. The others would be fine as long as it was just Kisame and the other missing-nin. Kisame was here. The rest could easily be handled by the two Kage and Kiri's regular forces.

 _If_ no one else in Akatsuki came along.

Naruto looked back over his shoulder. Kisame was still following, but he stayed so far back that he couldn't have been really trying. The Konoha-nin were still fighting him, but he was able to swat them away just as easily as before. If he wanted to break away from them, he could.

Something wasn't right. It was almost like… he _wanted_ Naruto to go this way.

Naruto was approaching a curve in the shoreline, and he almost decided just to turn and face Kisame again before something worse happened. The trees here were not burned yet, and they blocked his view of what lay ahead. But he was able to sense someone waiting for him right before he could see them.

Just like the last time, the energy blended in so well that he could hardly trace it, hardly _feel_ it until it was just on the other side of the trees.

He darted around the edge of the cove but skidded to a halt the moment he saw the figure standing there. The young face marred by a living tattoo. Both eyes were Sharingan-red this time.

What little plan Naruto had drained out of his mind.

Nothing he knew from the past, present, or future helped him understand why Sasuke was there.

Breathing was still painful, but Naruto tried to catch his breath without flinching. This was a trick—Itachi's genjutsu all over again. Sasuke didn't know he was here. Even if he did know, he wouldn't _be_ here, waiting.

Most of all, he would not be working with Akatsuki.

It had to be Itachi. Nothing else made any sense.

"I'm not falling for this one again," Naruto said, injecting as much bravado into his voice as possible. "It's really obvious when you show up with Kisame like that. Have you decided you're just not gonna listen to me?"

The image of Sasuke reached under the heavy, plain brown mantle it wore and drew a sword.

Naruto made an impatient sound. "If you want to fight, you might as well do it face to face, Itachi—"

"Itachi's not here."

In a way, he already knew it. Naruto couldn't sense Itachi's presence anywhere on the island. But he hoped it was all part of the trick. Genjutsu could interfere with his senses, even in Sage Mode. It had to be something else. _Anything_ else.

"Sasuke doesn't care about Kiri or Akatsuki." Naruto walked closer. He felt certain that if he just touched the illusion, it would dissolve away. "He should still be trying to go after you. He would never come looking for me. He wants to get revenge."

"Hmph." Sasuke gave a humorless smile. "You understand me a little better than I thought. You're right; I don't care about this village or Akatsuki's goals. But I was offered something: Itachi's life in exchange for finding and capturing you," his eyes narrowed, "Kyuubi."

Naruto stopped walking. Each lob of his heart felt like it was beating directly against his cracked ribs.

"So it's true? I always knew there was something different about you," Sasuke continued. "Everything that happened at the Exams. Itachi going after you. It was more than just a coincidence. I had to find out the truth before I could see it clearly. That's why I went to find Madara."

"You don't see anything." Naruto wanted to yell it out, but he couldn't take a deep enough breath. "Madara is just trying to use you, or get rid of you. You can't trust him. He'd do or say anything to help his plans."

"Madara is nothing but a fool." Sasuke gave a half-shrug. "He told me exactly why he wants to hunt down all the Tailed Beasts. He thinks everyone in the world would be satisfied with a fake version of reality. As if those of us who have lost everything would be happy with empty images."

Naruto remembered what Itachi said the last time they met: _I will take care of Madara myself_. But where was he now? The thought gave Naruto a sickening feeling.

"He's definitely lying about helping you take down Itachi, or letting you do it, whatever. No matter what he says, he probably wants you to stay far away from Itachi, now that he's talked to you. Itachi knows too much about him."

"I don't need Madara's help," Sasuke said bluntly. "I'm not here for the offer. I told you, I went to him for information. I wanted to know what they needed you for, so I could figure out how to get in their way. From the situation with the Sanbi, I've realized the best way is to kill you, which will have the added benefit of giving me more power of my own. Did you know? When a Tailed Beast loses its host, it takes time before the beast can regenerate."

Sasuke raised his sword. His eyes were narrowed on Naruto, cold points focused on a target.

It was the same situation over again. No matter what he said, in any timeline, it always came back to that.

"You make fun of Madara, but you're trying to throw everything away, just like him. It's all the same if you can't see what you still have."

Annoyance flashed across Sasuke's face. The flame-like marking printed on his skin grew, spreading until one of his eyes turned black and yellow. His muscles tensed and then he shot forward, blade pointed directly ahead.

Naruto's last Sage Mode was running out quickly. He didn't have enough time or energy to make bunshin, even if he could lift his injured arm enough to form the necessary seal. But his physical strength was still greatly magnified by the Mode. With that and Frog Kumite, he still stood a chance.

The slightest shift in ambient energy told him Sasuke was taking aim at the exposed, gnawed flesh of his left shoulder. Naruto got ready to crouch low, curling his right hand in preparation for a counter-strike the moment the sword missed. Elemental chakra collected in his good hand, ready to be released at any moment.

But the predictive powers of the Sharingan gave away his strategy as quickly as he thought of it. The sword moved again in the last split second, and Naruto had to guard by throwing up his injured arm in one big awkward motion. The sword pierced right through it—Naruto's shoulder wrenched painfully as he instinctively jerked to the side, and he ended up on his back again, the sword pinning his arm to the ground.

Sasuke raised a hand to feel of the blood trickling down his face. When Naruto had guarded, he released the wind chakra in a burst that sliced a long, clean line across Sasuke's cheek. A flicker of apprehension ran across Sasuke's face so quickly that it could have been a trick of the distant firelight.

Meanwhile, the pain in Naruto's shoulder seared across his chest. It made the thin sword blade sticking through his arm insignificant in comparison.

And then Sage Mode evaporated.

Sasuke pulled his free hand away from his face. Even without being able to sense energy anymore, Naruto knew it was about to burst with electricity. He kicked out and hit Sasuke in the shin. It didn't have quite the effect he'd hoped now that the Mode was gone. The marks had solidified, covering him with a gray, strange sort of armor.

"You can't get rid of us that easily," Naruto said anyway. He could feel Kurama's chakra bubbling just under the surface of his skin. He could hardly hear himself over the rushing in his ears. "Madara once told me that trying to change things was the same as denying reality, like him. But that's wrong. Ignoring everything in front of you is."

"I don't care either way. I don't need this reality. I'm only living for the past."

Kurama's chakra boiled over, surrounding Naruto with an orange aura that was as corrosive as it was protective. His teeth and nails lengthened. His thoughts grew cloudy. But he fought to stay in control. Letting Kurama's energy run wild here was not what he wanted.

Sasuke took a single step back, leaving the sword stuck in the ground. He looked up from Naruto sharply and glared at something out of view. He went through a series of hand signs. Now his hand was enveloped in the bright blue, screeching electric chakra of Chidori.

"Who are you?" he demanded coldly. "You can't be Madara."

"I'm a friend."

A plume of flame burst out toward Sasuke, and he jumped back farther. Naruto craned his head and followed with his eyes as Obito finally came into view. He ran toward Sasuke, pulling a kunai from his leg holster. Sasuke rushed toward him with his Chidori.

"No!" Naruto called out instinctively.

The Chidori passed through Obito, and he turned around to face the next strike, Sharingan blazing. Sasuke's step faltered out of surprise, but he spun around to lunge at Obito even more viciously than before. And again, it passed through him. The Chidori stopped.

"Who are you?" Sasuke said again, sounding angrier and more confused by the moment.

Obito glanced at Naruto. Kurama's energy was still coating his body. Though he tried to suppress it, it was nearly impossible with the conflict going on in front of him. Obito put away the kunai and trotted over to him.

"I'm not done!" Naruto protested before Obito could say anything. His voice was low and scratchy from the impending transformation. "I can still fight. Just get this sword for me."

"Don't be stupid. Look at you. I bet Orochimaru is laughing his ass off right now." Obito turned around to look at Sasuke. "You're right, I'm not Madara. But neither is the guy you've been calling that. Not that it makes much of a difference. I think you're all garbage either way."

Naruto tried to pull out the sword himself, but his position made it too difficult to get a hold on it. "This'll heal up soon. I can't leave. Everyone's still fighting. Akatsuki is—"

Obito crouched beside him. "I don't think so. You need a medic, not a fight. I'm taking you to Kabuto."

Not yet. He only needed to use a little more of Kurama's power. Just a bit more, and his injuries wouldn't matter. What _did_ matter was Sasuke getting involved with Akatsuki. He needed to know what was going on. Disappearing right now would be the worst timing.

Sasuke walked up behind Obito. "You're not getting away. Tell me who you are."

"Sorry, that's confidential. But the way things are going, I get the feeling we'll run into each other again."

Naruto squinted at Sasuke through the orange haze. His brain felt cloudier and cloudier. With a jolt of fear, he realized that, whatever else happened, he needed to get Kurama's energy under control. It wasn't worth it to risk losing control in Kirigakure or in the kamui dimension.

Then he blinked. It was lighter among the pale gray columns.

"Naruto needs help!" he heard Obito say.

"What? Naruto-senpai… what happened?" Kabuto came into view on his other side. Naruto closed his eyes and tried to settle his emotions. There was still a chance to catch up to Sasuke. But first he needed to regain control.

"Wait, I just remembered," Obito said, throwing his hand out as Kabuto approached. "Is it ok for you to get near the Kyuubi's chakra? Your body—"

"It's fine. This is the same corrosive form that Orochimaru-sama tested on you, right? It might burn, but it shouldn't activate the plant cells."

Healing chakra washed over Naruto. It got easier to breathe as he could finally take deeper breaths without it hurting. His pulse grew less frantic. The gashes on his arm and legs gradually closed up. And Kurama's chakra retreated back to the seal as the threat to his life faded.

Naruto opened his eyes to a world that was much more in focus. He felt tired, like he always did whenever the fox's energy leaked out of the seal.

He was not sure how much time passed. It simultaneously dragged on forever and not long at all.

"Are you okay, Naruto-senpai?" Kabuto sat back. His hands were burned raw and red from coming into contact with the corrosive chakra. It was the one of the few things his plant cell body couldn't recover quickly from.

"Yeah, thanks." Naruto sat up. "I'm ready to go back now."

"Why, so you can fight Sasuke some more?" Obito crossed his arms stubbornly when Naruto looked at him. "After he showed up in the future and didn't do a thing to help us, I thought maybe it was because you weren't the Naruto from his timeline. How can you be friends with a guy who said he'd kill you just to mess up Akatsuki's plans?"

"You don't have to understand it. Just take me back to my time."

Obito snorted. "He reminds me of everything I hate about the Uchiha. And _Kakashi_ taught him that lightning move, didn't he?"

"Actually, he's kind of like the older you."

Obito's face twisted into a look of pure offense, making Naruto give a short laugh despite everything.

"That's not funny."

"You're right, it's not." Naruto carefully rolled his newly healed shoulder a few times. It was still tender, but the muscle and skin was stitched back together perfectly. He let his arm drop. "I never thought about it until I was talking to Sasuke back there. But they're both loyal to something that doesn't exist anymore. Something they can't get back. And it's keeping them from seeing the friends and family they have left."

Obito shook his head. "I'd rather have you as a friend than Kakashi. Rin keeps trying to get everyone to pick out a present to give him for his promotion. I'm too busy thinking of a way to not get flattened."

"Have you found out anything else? That's why you came to find me, isn't it?"

Obito looked grim. "Yeah. We got the mission, just like I thought. Minato-sensei hasn't said anything yet about Kakashi taking the lead for it. But with his promotion happening, it's all going the same way so far."

"He hasn't asked you anything about what happened before, with me and Kabuto?"

"I just told him the same thing I said when he came here. He thinks you're people I met when I used my jutsu to cross into other dimensions."

"Has he asked anything about… about me?" Naruto noticed his hands were clenched, and he relaxed them.

"Not yet. But I think he sort of knows there's some kind of connection. I think, since, you know… he'd probably be trying to get more details if not for that."

"Maybe he's too afraid to ask," Kabuto suggested. "You should tell him the truth next time, Naruto-senpai."

"What? I-I mean… Obito said he doesn't want anything messing up his plan to save Rin. And it would probably be really weird."

"You can tell him after this mission is over. I was hoping you'd be able to help me with it, but I guess you won't be able to leave if you're still doing stuff in Kiri."

"I want to help," Naruto said quickly. "I'll figure something out. Just tell me before you go on the mission, even if you don't know when it's going to be 'till the last minute. I'll be there."

"Do you still want to go back to Kirigakure right now?"

Naruto nodded. "Can you do it? Or do you have to jump to where Orochimaru is again?"

"Nah. I don't have to land at the anchoring spot, so long as it's there making your time possible to get to. It won't be as accurate, but I can probably get you inside Kiri."

"I hope so." Naruto remembered the last time Obito had misjudged his own accuracy.

"Good luck! Think of some good excuses, so you can come back and talk to Minato-sensei again." Kabuto smiled and waved as they were leaving. His hands were still burned.

Naruto gave a thumbs up in return, but he wasn't fooled by the medic's chipper tone. For him, it was easy to see the faint tinge of loneliness in Kabuto's smile.

* * *

The smell of smoke came back to them before any of the other senses did. Naruto looked around as soon as he could move again. They were near some of the round stone towers, probably somewhere within the village center. The fires were out, making everything dark, but there was still smoke drifting through the street. No one was around.

"It looks like everyone's evacuated," Naruto said. He didn't want to think about any other possible explanations. "The battle probably moved closer to old lady Mizukage and the beach where we saw Sasuke."

"Will you be okay here, or do you want me to stay until you find someone else?" Obito said uncomfortably.

It was clear he wanted to get out of Kirigakure as soon as possible. But if Kisame showed up again—or worse, Obito's older self—it would be handy to have him around.

"Stay just a minute. I know the perfect way to find out where everyone is."

"Your Sage Mode?"

"Yeah. And there." Naruto pointed toward the main hall. It was the largest building in the vicinity. "That's where they were all working. If the fight's over they might be coming back to check on the damage."

Naruto jogged toward the main hall. It wasn't that far away, and he didn't want to be out in the open when he went into Sage Mode.

The double doors to the hall were already open, and no light came from the inside. It looked very unlikely that anyone was there.

It was warm when they stepped inside, and the smell of smoke was strong here. Naruto coughed and waved his hand around, but there was no wafting the smoke away when it was already thoroughly diffused in the air.

"They totally sacked this place. Look in the middle."

"I can't see in the dark," Naruto complained, but he squinted toward the vague outline in the middle. Only a few glowing cinders in the pile gave him an impression of its size.

"It's mostly books and scrolls." Obito touched something that crumbled, which made him cough as well.

Naruto's stomach sank down to the floor. "Shizune-nee, from our village, she and Baa-chan were helping the Kiri people look for evidence about what was going on, I think. They didn't tell me much about it."

"So was somebody trying to get rid of it, or were they just trying to hurt whoever was in here?"

Naruto hoped Shizune and Chojuro were alright; that they were still with their Kage. He sat down cross-legged on the floor, facing the doorway, toward the relatively clean air of outside. He took in a slow breath. Focusing on everything at once would be a bad idea. There were too many things he dreaded to see. He decided to search for the two Kage first.

The village itself felt different from the last time he'd extended his senses throughout it. To his relief, masses of people were hiding underneath the ground. But the surface felt dead. All the trees and gardens in the center were razed. The earth itself seemed to be in pain. It was a strange feeling.

Deadness usually meant emptiness. But death on such a large scale left something _else_ in the space, something he didn't know how to describe.

 _Hatred ,_ Kurama said. _Fear. Negative energy. It doesn't take much for this place to remember it. Most humans can't sense it, but they know when it's there. This is what war feels like._

Naruto didn't want to think about that right now. He focused his attention on the bright spots of living energy moving around near the shore.

They came into view. Everyone was on the beach now. Mei was ordering some Kiri-nin. Tsunade was healing Kakashi. Shizune and Sakura and Chojuro were all there. Naruto let out his breath.

He couldn't sense Sasuke or Kisame. Had they given up, just like that?

And where was Ao?

He tried tracing his way back from where they had parted ways. A precise direction was not the easiest thing to find in Sage Mode. It was all currents and intersections. But there was very little left on the ground to interfere. Naruto stood up, brushed some ash from his clothes, and walked toward the door.

"Did you find something?"

"There was this old guy, one of the Mizukage's aides. He didn't like us, but he protected me. We got ambushed by a member of Akatsuki, and he stayed behind so I could escape."

"So…?" Obito sounded uncertain, but he trailed along as Naruto strode out into the street.

"All the people who did this were from here. This wasn't one village fighting against another like in the wars. Even if it all started earlier, the masked man is the one that made things get like this. He didn't take over Yagura just to get the Sanbi."

"I told you, that won't happen with me. Can I go home now or what?"

"I don't mean that. It's just… maybe you and Orochimaru are right. Everything's gotten so confusing that I'm not sure what a friend is or what an enemy is. You can protect someone you hate or kill people you love or lie when you're trying to help or tell the truth to hurt—"

"Wait, stop." Obito walked in front of Naruto and held him back by the shoulders. "I get your point, but the _last_ thing you want to do is start thinking about stuff like that. You've gotten this far by trusting your gut, right? So just do that. I think Sasuke is the worst kind of Uchiha asshole, but looking at all this, someone could say the same thing about me and it wouldn't be wrong. It's not all one thing or another. Not for you."

"Sasuke wants to take down his brother. That's what's kept him going all this time. So why was he here working with someone who works with him?"

"I don't know? It didn't sound like they were cooperating to me. Sasuke said he was going to mess up Akatsuki's plans."

Maybe. Maybe the only one Sasuke had contact with was Tobi. Itachi wouldn't accept it if he knew. If Kisame noticed, then maybe Itachi was about to find out. Which could be good or bad, depending on how he decided to respond.

But that still didn't explain where he was right now.

Obito dropped his hands. "Just stop. It doesn't suit you, ok? Look… what were you saying about that old guy?"

"Oh! Ao-jii! We need to find him. I can barely sense him—he needs help! Can you take me to him if I describe where?"

"I guess," Obito said doubtfully. "I don't want to meet him, but it might be useful. To see if we can coordinate like that, I mean. Let's give it a try."

* * *

 **Chapter 16: To Become Stronger will post September 15! Until next time~**


	16. To Become Stronger

**(posted 9/15/17)**

 **CHAPTER 16 | To Become Stronger**

 **It** took a couple of tries for Naruto to translate his vague impressions into concrete direction and distance, but they ended up in the right place surprisingly quickly. He knew they were close the moment they arrived in the shell of a residential neighborhood.

Ao was slumped against a building. Even without the help of Sage Mode, the man's ragged breathing showed that he was alive.

"Ao-jii?" Naruto trotted over and bent down beside him. "Can you hear me? Can you walk? It's all over. I think."

Ao forced open his gray-blue eye to look at Naruto. "Naruto… How—how did you get back here without meeting the enemy?"

Naruto could still feel Obito nearby, standing behind another wall. "My Sage Mode lets me track anyone down. I'm really glad you're alive. I'll take you to Tsunade-baachan."

Ao was holding his side. Large splotches of blood stained the torn fabric of this gi, but Naruto sensed the worst part was dangerously low chakra levels. Ao must have suffered a chomping from that weird weapon—if only Naruto had his older self's ability to transfer chakra to others.

Ao still stared at him. His face pulled in a grimace. He was fighting to stay conscious. "Then… who is that behind you?"

Naruto whirled around. He could still sense Obito standing further back, but he couldn't see him, nor anyone else.

That's right. Ao was a sensor-type, wasn't he? Naruto had no idea how his ability worked, but if he had to explain why Obito was there—

"Now it's gone." Ao leaned back and sighed, closing his eyes. "Maybe it was nothing. I'm… not at my best right now."

"Just hold on. I'll bring you to where everyone else is." Naruto pulled Ao's arm over his shoulders. Obito must have heard what the Kiri-nin said and left. If Ao had been unconscious, they could have taken him to Kabuto. If Obito could have been convinced to do it.

Naruto launched himself into the air with as much force as he dared while carrying an injured person. Another quick check confirmed there were no more missing-nin on the island. They, and presumably Kisame as well, had all fled.

Had they been forced back by Mei's group and the others? Or had they given up when he disappeared?

Jumping through the charred landscape and vaulting over the inner wall was a quick task. Naruto landed on the beach from his last leap and ran across the sand to where he could see Tsunade.

"Naruto!" She sounded startled, but relieved. "Where… _where in the world were you?_ We thought Kisame captured you and ran!"

"Sorry, Baa-chan. I got separated from everyone and—and I ran into Sasuke, too. And I knew Ao-jii was still back there somewhere. He helped us get out when the attack started. Can you help him?"

Tsunade helped ease Ao into a sitting position on the sand. Her hand glowed, checking him over.

"You're not the only one who saw Sasuke. Sakura and Kakashi saw him as well."

"They _did?_ "

Naruto turned just in time for Sakura to barrel into him. He wasn't sure if it was an attack or a hug. She held onto his arms, face screwed up on the verge of tears.

"With Akatsuki here, and Sasuke was… I thought, he might be working with them now. But you're still here, so it was just a—a coincidence."

Something reassuring was already halfway formed before Sakura finished speaking. All he had to do was confirm what she already thought, and instinct nearly made a wholehearted agreement slip out. But that was no good. He knew from experience what the result would be.

"I don't know, Sakura-chan." Naruto pushed her back gently. "He might have been here with them. But if so, he was only cooperating in order to mess with their plans. He found out about the bijuu somehow, so he was trying to cut me down so the Kyuubi would be gone for a while."

"No…" Sakura lowered her head. Her tears streamed and made small indents in the sand. "Why? Why would he do this? I thought he just wanted to get revenge on Itachi."

"I-I don't know."

Kakashi was standing beside them. Naruto glanced at him and he gave a sigh.

"Sasuke ran away the moment we got there. We tried to get him to stop, but then he and Kisame left around the same time. I never saw them actually working together, but it's still strange. Kisame was with Itachi when they tried to capture you the first time. I doubt Sasuke has forgotten that."

"So they're both gone." They had run into another dead end. "But… look on the bright side, Sakura-chan. If he's coming after me now, that makes things a lot easier! We won't have to find him first."

"Idiot," Kakashi said, but he smiled.

"We'll keep working together, then." Sakura scrubbed her eyes with her arm and looked up. "Next time, the three of us will face him together. As a team."

* * *

Sasuke went back. He knew where they would be.

He told himself it was nothing but a tactical retreat, a chance to put together everything he found out before he had to face Madara again. After all, dealing with Madara was like playing chess knowing half the rules. Best to not use any pieces before he knew their significance.

The wall sconces illuminated and extinguished themselves as Sasuke walked through the dark corridor, creating a bubble of light that moved down the hall in pace with his step.

This was the largest and most secure of Orochimaru's bases, the one beneath Otogakure itself. As such, it was more active than most of the hideouts dotted throughout the other countries. This hall was a restricted path that would take him almost all the way to his rooms without risk of being seen.

When he reached the dimly lit chamber at the end of the hall, however, Sasuke paused. It looked the same as usual—like a prison, with metal doors stacked four levels high from where he stood on the bottom level. This place was the reason he didn't always use the hidden corridor. The cell inhabitants couldn't see him, but it was never quiet here.

Except today, it was.

Strange. Sasuke spared a sweeping glance upward as he walked through.

"Welcome back."

Sasuke stopped again, staring as Orochimaru walked into view, appearing while he'd been looking upward. He hadn't expected to see the master of the place so soon.

"Where is Kabuto?" Sasuke said abruptly, without greeting. Usually the bespectacled medic would find him first, just to tell him how foolish and reckless he'd been. And he felt certain he'd heard that boy—that _Uchiha_ —mention Kabuto's name. It defied all logic, and yet—

"He's in the lab. Where do you think he would be?" Orochimaru said, amusement dancing in his eyes. "We've been waiting here for you a while."

Sasuke didn't answer, and Orochimaru stepped closer to get a better look at him.

"Why do you ask? You don't seem all that injured." Orochimaru reached for the long line of dried blood on Sasuke's face, and Sasuke twitched as if he wanted to recoil away. "That is a curiously sharp cut, though. Sharper than any blade could make."

"It was wind-style jutsu—if you could call it that," Sasuke said dismissively. He stepped aside, intending to walk around Orochimaru and continue to his rooms, but he suddenly noticed that Orochimaru seemed… different. Something about the gesture he'd used was off.

"Your arms are healed?" Sasuke noted the lack of bandages, the lack of scarring on Orochimaru's arms. His features had slightly changed as well, though exactly how was hard to pinpoint. Was it height? The set of his shoulders? "You've changed bodies again. An impostor would try harder."

Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile. "I thought you might be more surprised, considering it is supposed to be impossible for me to switch again so soon."

"Sorry to disappoint you." Sasuke had expected a lecture. He didn't want more mysteries to deal with.

"Once you've rested up, I'd be interested to hear about your visit to Kirigakure," Orochimaru said as Sasuke continued to walk away. Sasuke's step barely hesitated before he left without comment.

* * *

A misty daybreak shed light on the charred landscape left behind in Kirigakure. Most of the buildings, while suffering damage, were still intact enough to be repaired. And because the Kiri-nin had already been prepared for an attack, most of the population outside the city center was evacuated well before the fight spread. The biggest losses were in the center, and in the ports. Tsunade told them they would do what they could to provide boats and assistance until Kiri could recover from their losses.

They were in the swept-out main hall. None of the furniture was left except for the great stone table, and almost all of the archives had been destroyed. Shinobi registry, Bingo data, criminal information—all of it was gone. It would now be much more difficult to figure out the identity and the allegiance of the ones working with Kisame. But that didn't mean all hope was lost.

"Even though Akatsuki got away, we still have prisoners. From them, we might be able to learn something," Mei said. "Their leaders haven't given away anything yet, but maybe in time."

"I'm sorry all this happened," Naruto said. "Is Ao-jii going to be alright?"

"He hasn't regained consciousness yet. But Tsunade-sama has assured us that he just needs to rest," Mei said. She gave Naruto a wry smile. "I'm afraid we won't be able to do much to help you after this. But I must say, I might have just a little bit of faith in your generation. That young chuunin of yours actually did a good job as an ambassador. The genin that went to Konoha want to participate in the next Exams now. Maybe that's what we need. If we can restore faith in our clients, we can take another step toward rebuilding everything on our own. I hope you and Sakura will be there, as well."

Naruto looked at Sakura. The Exams were the furthest thing from his mind right now.

"We'll be there when we can go as Team 7," Naruto said. Sakura grinned and Kakashi nodded.

Inoichi, Genma, and the ANBU had all made it out safely, as well. But Tsunade made them travel back to Konoha separately. She didn't say anything about them specifically, but Naruto could tell she was outraged that someone sent them there, just by the edge she got under her voice every time they came up.

* * *

Three days after they returned to Konoha, Naruto found himself standing in one spot on the street for an indeterminate amount of time.

The gates to the Hyuuga compound were always intimidating, even though there was nothing particularly unusual about them. Even at this time of the day, when the doors were wide open to the neatly swept street.

It was the principle of the thing. Whether the doors were open or not, there was no way to get in there unnoticed.

Not that it was Naruto's intention to be sneaky. He was there to make good on a promise he had made in the future.

"You have been standing there a while," a familiar voice said, and Naruto jumped. Hyuuga Hiashi came around the corner and out the door. "Are you waiting for something, Naruto-kun?"

"I was wondering if Neji was here. Team Gai wasn't at that event when the last Mizukage showed up, were they?"

"That is correct. I believe they were on a different mission at the time. Is something concerning you?"

"No—I mean, not about that," Naruto said. "I just haven't seen those guys since the last Exams. I thought, since I was back in the village again, I'd see how they're doing."

"You can ask him yourself, then." Hiashi motioned behind him. Naruto peered around the man and saw Neji walking toward the gate.

"We have been busy, for the most part," Neji said. He must have caught the last of what Hiashi was saying. "Do you need something, Naruto?"

"Neji!" Naruto dashed forward, making Neji take a step backward with a suspicious look. "I've got the whole day off! Let's go training! We'll see who has improved the most since the Exams!"

"…What?"

" _Yooooooooooooosh!_ "

A cloud of dust came up from the ground when a green blur skidded to a halt alongside them. Hiashi had already stepped gracefully out of the way.

"That is a perfect idea, Naruto-kun!" Lee nearly had flames in his eyes from excitement. "A hotblooded challenge to measure our growth! _I accept!_ "

"Good. The two of you can have at it." Neji made to walk away, but Naruto grabbed his shoulder.

"I bet I can beat you even faster than I did last time."

Neji turned to stare at him. "Do you think I'll be provoked that easily? Besides, you're wrong. You've spent more time in the hospital than in training. I hardly consider that a challenge."

Naruto grinned. "You might be surprised."

"You're preparing for the next Exams. It might be a useful change of pace for today," Hiashi said.

Neji shook his head, resigned. "Lee, you came here to drag me into a training day already, didn't you?"

"Yes!" Lee gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "I have already convinced Tenten to meet us on Training Field 5. But I do not mind Naruto-kun joining us. I would also like to see the result of his travels with Jiraiya-sama!"

"Then, I'll go find Sakura-chan," Naruto said. "We'll all go together!"

They split up, agreeing to meet back at the training field. Sakura was just as enthusiastic as Naruto (though not nearly as much as Lee). They got to work as soon as everyone arrived at the field.

Their jounin instructors found out about the impromptu joint training fairly quickly.

"Whooooaaaaaaa! _Look_ at them, my rival!" Gai gushed, unable to stand still as he and Kakashi watched their students run laps. "Taking initiative! Running toward the setting sun with the power of youth filling their hearts!"

"It's the middle of the day. There is no setting sun," Kakashi said, not looking up from his book.

"It seems the recent trials faced by your team have stirred something deep within," Gai continued. "And I'm not just talking about your students, Kakashi! Or am I mistaken in observing your increased motivation as of late? The world may see you as _cool_ as ever, but I am not fooled!"

Kakashi lowered his book just enough to watch the kids running together.

"The future isn't set in stone. That is what I believe now."

* * *

The next day, Naruto got a much-anticipated chance to catch up with Jiraiya. After waking up that morning to another messenger toad loudly croaking in his ear, he went to one of the dango shops in town.

Jiraiya was there, sitting outside the shop with a fresh stick of dango in his hand. He motioned, and Naruto trotted over to sit beside him on the bench.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked eagerly. Meeting like this felt very important and clandestine, even though they were still inside the village.

"I heard about what happened in Kiri. Went through a lot of trouble to get someone on our side that can't really do much, huh?" Jiraiya bit down on the dango and slid it off the stick.

"It's something!" Naruto scowled and leaned forward. "At least we found out more about Sasuke. And now that Lava-Lady is on our side, other villages might decide to listen to us, too."

"Suna, maybe. I don't really see old man Ohnoki or Ay sticking their necks out for Akatsuki to take a swing at, the way Kiri did. From what Tsunade told me, things got a little too interesting over there. But how have you been since you got back?"

"First I went to see Iruka-sensei, to let him know I made it back alright. He hadn't wanted me to go, and all," Naruto said, scratching his cheek. "I've been training with Kakashi-sensei and Sakura. Oh! Yesterday I went to the Hyuuga clan house and dragged Neji out to train with us. Bushy-brow helped me."

Jiraiya laughed. "It's good to see you're settling back in. But you haven't noticed any of those guys tailing you or trying to get more information out of you?"

Naruto shook his head, puzzled. "Kakashi-sensei hasn't said anything about it, either. I don't really understand what was going on with that. Those guys just showed up and said they wanted to make sure Akatsuki hadn't gotten to me. But I don't know what they were really trying to do. Inoyaji kept doing this thing where, like, he was talking to me inside my head. He said he didn't agree with what they were doing."

Jiraiya put down the empty dango stick and picked up another one. "From what we know, they left Konoha shortly after you all did. The ANBU claims an anonymous informant tipped them off to the danger in Kirigakure, but it's still suspicious they were able to act so quickly, before anything even happened. But the whole thing is getting blamed on Akatsuki and Yagura. I guess the only good thing is no one's come up with any plausible reason to keep you under watch inside the village—beyond what we already knew, the fact that Akatsuki is after you. Though, I doubt that'll be the end of it."

"But why do you think they want to do that?"

Jiraiya gave a low, rumbling sigh. "That's always how it is. The existence of the jinchuuriki means power. It's as simple as that."

Jiraiya held out the last dango stick from his plate, and Naruto accepted it. He chewed thoughtfully for a while.

"I dunno, Ero-sennin. This is harder than I thought it would be."

"That's life, kid. Tell me about your run-in with Sasuke."

Naruto told him about the fight with Kisame that led to him finding Sasuke. But when it came to the part where Obito had stepped in, he hesitated. He stared down at his cleaned-off dango stick. There was no changing the fact that Sasuke had seen Obito. Naruto kept trying to buy time to find a solution to the older version, but the truth was getting progressively harder to avoid, and he was no closer to coming up with a good idea.

What if Kurama hadn't stopped Inoichi before all his secrets came spilling out? That was way too close.

"You got away," Jiraiya prompted. "I'm surprised you walked out of a fight with Sasuke. Or did Kisame catch up to you?"

"No." Naruto absently broke the stick in half and flicked it at a nearby trash can. "It was… y'know that thing that happened when we were staying at the onsen? It was kinda like that."

Jiraiya didn't change his casual expression, but Naruto noticed him glance around before shifting toward him. "I was afraid you'd say something like that. But Orochimaru is in this world now, so I don't understand how this could still be going on. You know… I trust you. I think you have a good heart, and good reasons for everything you do. But—"

"Narutooo!"

They looked up and saw Sakura waving from the entrance to a nearby shop. She trotted across the street to them.

"There you are. Hello, Jiraiya-sama."

"Hey there, kiddo," Jiraiya said easily. "Kakashi's really putting you two through the gauntlet lately, isn't he? He must be antsy waiting for the next _Icha Icha_ to come out."

"No, he still goes off somewhere half the time. He's just been checking back with us more." Sakura shook her head. "Anyway, Naruto, I've been looking for you. You remember what Mei-sama said, about the Kiri genin wanting to join in the next Exams?"

"Yeah?"

"I was talking to Shikamaru about it. And, well—I think it could be a good chance for us to talk to some of the other villages. Isn't that what they're all about, when you think about it? It's supposed to let the Hidden Villages compete on the same ground for a little while. Maybe the different Kage can have meetings and set up treaties, but the things we can do matter just as much. Just like you did with Gaara. Just like Shikamaru did with the Kiri genin."

"We can build up trust between the villages without it being official!" Naruto jumped to his feet. This was the best idea anyone had ever had. "If people know about Akatsuki, little by little, maybe it won't be so easy for the Kage to ignore them."

"And about the jinchuuriki, too. I think even if people don't want to fight against Akatsuki, they can do more to stop Akatsuki from capturing them. And I think… you should tell everyone about the Kyuubi."

"A-Ah— _what?"_ Naruto looked around, suddenly nervous. "Don't say that out loud, Sakura-chan! I wasn't supposed to tell you about that in the first place."

"It's still against the law here, you know," Jiraiya said.

"Why? Me and Sasuke already know it. Everybody in Kiri knows it."

"The Sandaime had his reasons. But it's your master you have to convince, not me. And she has more than just your opinion to think about."

Sakura looked a little deflated. She turned back to Naruto. "Then for the time being, we can try to get everyone's help with Sasuke and Akatsuki. We'll be able to talk to people from all over the place at the next Exams. We should start preparing for it even more seriously than last time."

"Wait, where did that come from? I thought we were going to wait and take it as a team."

"We still can. I haven't figured out the details, but people need to be warned about Akatsuki whether we convince Sasuke to come back or not, right? If he's with them, it's like you said, he might come to us next. But we shouldn't wait for that to happen. We need to get stronger and find him first."

Naruto was surprised by Sakura's boldness. It reminded him of the version of her he had seen in the future. Every day they were together as a team, the image grew stronger. And the others… if they did the same, and got closer and closer to what they would become, who knew what they could accomplish?

"Damn. Talk about bad timing," Jiraiya muttered.

"What?" Naruto had almost forgotten he was there.

Jiraiya placed his cup of tea down on the bench beside him. "It's a good idea. But you won't gain enough strength to take on Akatsuki between now and the next Exams."

"But we can take on Sasuke," Naruto said. "That's a good enough start."

"As long as he stays with them, they're the same thing. Tsunade says that I am completely healed, so you will be continuing your training journey with me. That will be the best way for you to gain the strength you need."

"But I want to stay here for a little while, Ero-sennin! We already found out what Orochimaru was up to. Plus, I doubt Baa-chan is going to let me wander off after what happened in Kirigakure. Why can't we just train here?"

Jiraiya gave another rumbling sigh and scratched his head. It looked like he was debating with himself. He crossed one leg over his knee and leaned forward.

"Since the ANBU acted on supposedly anonymous information without orders from the Hokage, there is technically no way they can hold you under scrutiny. Tsunade wants your training journey to continue before somebody comes up with one. Right now, we can make the argument that it's not necessarily safer to stay inside the village. In fact, traveling from place to place with me may be the safest option."

"That's not fair," Sakura said, frowning. "Shouldn't Naruto get a say in what he does for his training? Why can't you stay here and train him?"

"I could do that, but you're missing the point here, Nidaime Tsunade-hime. It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission, and we'll be able to do a lot more to counteract Akatsuki if we are out there. If it were just me, I could come and go whenever I wanted."

Naruto would normally jump at the chance to continue his training journey with Jiraiya, but he hadn't done enough since returning the last time. And Sakura was right.

"Do you think… would it really be that bad if I stayed here?"

"Tsunade wants you to stay on the move for a while longer." Jiraiya's expression softened. "Until we figure out what happened there in Kiri. There will be plenty of time to worry about the Exams later. As long as you kids are that determined to get stronger, I think we'll be all right."

"I guess that explains what you wanted to talk to me about. When are we supposed to leave?" Naruto slumped back down on the bench.

"Ah, so you caught on to that one," Jiraiya said. "We're leaving as soon as Tsunade gives the go ahead. It could be as early as this evening."

"Then… the rest of the team can go, too," Sakura said. "Me and Kakashi-sensei."

"Tsunade isn't going to want to take Kakashi away from doing missions for something like this."

"Your training is important too, Sakura-chan," Naruto said quickly. "Besides, I know you can find a way to get everybody involved in what we're doing. I'll come back as soon as I can. And I'll definitely let you know if we find out anything about Sasuke."

Sakura bit her lip. "I thought… I thought it might help to have you talk to them, Naruto. If everyone knew, I think that they would accept you. But even if we can't tell them everything, you have a way of getting people to listen to you."

"There's no rush," Jiraiya said. "According to Naruto, the war won't be a problem for another few years. In the meantime, you shouldn't underestimate yourself." He stood up. "I'm about to check in with Tsunade again. Do me a favor and don't mention any of this until we've left."

Sakura and Naruto stayed silent for half a minute after Jiraiya walked away.

"I wonder if we'll ever be together again, all of us," Sakura mumbled.

"We will."

That was one thing Naruto's future knowledge couldn't tell him. But he still felt the truth of it down to his bones.

* * *

As Jiraiya had warned, they set out that very evening. They left the same way they did the first time: abruptly, with no farewells, into the dark and cold. Izumo was at the gate. Naruto shifted his backpack and avoided the man's eye, pretending to be very interested in a moth that fluttered around one of the lamps. Despite the fact that he'd wanted to stay a little longer, he bounced on his heels with genuine anticipation.

"Good luck, Jiraiya-sama," Izumo said.

"It may be a long time before we come back," Jiraiya said. "I can't wait to see what changes come about. Ne, Naruto?"

Naruto stopped fidgeting and took in a long breath of the clean, cold air. It still felt like he hadn't done enough. But he trusted his friends. It had to _be_ enough. They would stand strong together the next time they met.

"Yeah. I bet it'll be something good."

At least, he thought as they turned and left, away from the village he would be able to ask for Jiraiya's real opinion about the incident in Kirigakure. He _knew_ there had to be more to it, if Tsunade was going through the trouble to restart his journey so suddenly.

And, if he was outside of the village, it would be that much easier to help Obito.

Naruto glanced back and forth across the dark path, staying close beside Jiraiya as they went past the place where he had confronted Itachi. It was unlikely Itachi would be there now, but without Sage Mode, it wasn't easy to tell.

Where was he?

That was the strangest thing about Sasuke showing up in Kiri: that Itachi wasn't there. Not just because Itachi was his goal before anything else. Naruto couldn't imagine the Itachi he knew letting Sasuke get involved with Akatsuki. He felt sure Itachi would make his younger brother stay away from them, even if he had to hurt him to do it.

Had he confronted Madara already, and something bad happened to him?

 _I am ill._ He'd said that, too. What if that had something to do with it? Or had Itachi just not known about Sasuke being in Kiri? Or did he have some kind of plan that only he knew about?

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me where we're going yet," Jiraiya complained, breaking up his train of thought.

"Huh? Oh. Where _are_ we going?"

"Our first destination is back to Myoboku, but we're going part of the way on foot. After that, I'm hoping things might get a bit more interesting."

"What d'you mean?"

"While you were off getting in trouble, I had an idea about how we might investigate Akatsuki next. But there's something I need more information about, which is why we're going to the Mount first."

"Information about what?"

Jiraiya held up his finger in a 'shh' motion. "That's for when we get a little further out."

* * *

 **Chapter 17, Something Something Tactics, will post September 22!**


	17. Something Something Tactics

**(posted 9/22/17)**

 **CHAPTER 17 | Something Something Tactics**

 **They** _were_ further out, in Naruto's opinion. But Jiraiya still wouldn't explain his new plan, no matter how much Naruto tried to bug him into telling.

To make matters worse, they had traveled for hours now, and it was getting seriously late. Both his feet and his eyelids were growing heavy.

"Ero-sennin… when are we going to stop to make camp?" Naruto mumbled, his voice as heavy as the rest of him.

"We're not going to make camp. I'm going to have one of the Toads reverse-summon us after a while."

" _Ehh?_ " Naruto said disbelievingly. "What's the point of us walking so far, then? I thought we were stopping somewhere important or something."

"If there happens to be anyone following us, we can draw them out, or make them think we're going somewhere else," Jiraiya said. "We're going the opposite way we would need to go if we were really traveling to the Mount on foot."

"We can just check using Sage Mode, and then—" Naruto nearly bumped into Jiraiya when he stopped suddenly.

"I've already told you, that's not foolproof. But I think we're clear. This is a good enough spot as any."

Naruto looked around. They were still somewhere in the Land of Fire, but he hadn't recognized anything in a while. The thick forests were giving way to younger trees and long grasses. The only time he'd traveled this close to the Land of Rivers was in the future, and that was using a different route.

Jiraiya bit his thumb and splayed his hand out on the ground.

A small messenger toad appeared, much like the one that had woken Naruto that morning.

"We're ready."

The toad saluted with a croak and then disappeared.

"Okay, so since we're out here, can you—"

POOF!

Naruto blinked. The stars looked a lot closer than they had before. Overlarge ferns and elephant-ears bowed underneath the brilliant celestial display. Two small toads were in front of them.

"Hey, welcome back, boss." Gamakichi held up his webbed hand in greeting.

"Hey, Gamakichi." Naruto gave a yawn and rubbed his eyes, fighting to stave off the wave of tiredness that washed over him.

"You young ones should be in bed," Shima said firmly. "There will be time to visit tomorrow."

"Thanks for the lift, Shima-baa." Jiraiya held up his hand in a grateful gesture.

"Where're we gonna stay? 'S too small in your house for us both," Naruto pointed out.

"You can stay at our house. There's lots of space there," Gamakichi said.

Jiraiya scoffed. "I'd rather not wake Gamabunta to ask. We're going to the temple of the Honorable Geezer."

"Oh, alright then—be sure to come by in the morning for breakfast," Shima said.

Jiraiya laughed as if it was a great joke, and then turned to walk down the path they had landed on. Naruto caught up after a brief lapse.

The path down to the temple was just as beautiful as everything else, even in the darkness. It may have been the dead of winter at the base of the mountain, but the top of it was as mild and lush as ever.

"Why are we going to the temple? Did the Honorable Geezer see something?"

"No. But he's usually sleeping, so he won't mind if we drop in. The important thing is the energy there. Maybe it's because the Great Toad Sage is there, or maybe he's there because the energy amplifies his perception. Either way, If we need to search for something, that is probably the best place to do it."

"To search for something… like Sasuke?" Naruto guessed, pace quickening at the thought.

"Right. The fact that it has been difficult to trace him may mean his new abilities have at least a distant grounding in the Sage arts. But not only that. Looking at everything as a whole, it might be time to change our approach."

"What do you mean?"

Jiraiya stopped walking. He looked back and forth, then sat down on a large rock beside the path.

"Alright, we're just about as far from anyone as it's possible to be. If you're not too sleepy, I can tell you about my idea."

"I'm not sleepy," Naruto said immediately, and sat down on the grass across from him.

"Well, here's what we know so far." Jiraiya held up his hands, counting off as he spoke. "Akatsuki found out something happened to you. Madara either sent someone to check on you, or he did it himself. That was the breach the Barrier Corps sensed. After realizing the Kyuubi was gone, he started searching more aggressively for at least one other jinchuuriki—the host of the Rokubi. When he found out you came back, it was important enough to risk his cover to infiltrate the banquet, but he was being watched too closely to attack there. Meanwhile, the missing-nin he gathered to help hunt the Rokubi kept getting into fights with Orochimaru's forces. So then he went after Orochimaru. Okay. What can we get from all this?"

"I get that I'm tired of being stalked," Naruto said, stifling a yawn. He might not have been as awake as he claimed.

Jiraiya sighed. "For the most part, Madara has been acting on his own. Aside from Itachi and Kisame, none of the other Akatsuki members have gotten involved with us. In fact, he used an army of Yagura dissidents—who, ironically, didn't realize who they were working for—to attack Kirigakure. And from what you've said, even though Kisame was there, he wasn't really trying to capture you. Why?"

"I guess because… they aren't ready to use the bijuu yet? I mean, in the future, it took them a while to start doing that. I think. But if that's true, then I don't understand why Madara did _any_ of it."

"I think you're halfway right," Jiraiya said. "Because even if Akatsuki isn't at that stage yet, they would want to know where all the jinchuuriki are. And I'm sure Madara has a way to keep early captures in reserve. I just think he would prefer to grab all of them at once, at the last minute, so the villages don't have time to retaliate. What I mean is, as desperate as he may be to capture you, it would benefit him to make your capture look like something completely unrelated. Like a Kirigakure coup. Or a score to settle with an old teammate."

Naruto felt like he'd swallowed one of Shima-baa's caterpillar onigiri whole. His stomach squirmed unpleasantly. "Sasuke told me that Madara offered him information in exchange for capturing me. And Sasuke was there, but not to do what Madara wanted. I don't understand the Kiri thing, though… not what Sasuke did, I mean, but Madara sending both him _and_ Kisame there."

"Why?" Jiraiya raised a brow. "It makes sense to me. Madara probably didn't trust Sasuke to do what he wanted, and Kisame was the perfect person to send. He seems to know the truth about Yagura, it was his old village, and he's come after you before."

"I know. But it still isn't right." Naruto crossed his arms and shook his head. "Kisame wouldn't actually help Madara use Sasuke. He'd tell Itachi about it. And Madara wouldn't want Itachi to know, 'cause he knows Itachi would betray him for Sasuke in a second. So…"

"Huh." Jiraiya thought about it for a moment. "I don't know what makes you so sure about that. I guess it's possible that Sasuke wasn't supposed to be there at all, or maybe Kisame wasn't supposed to know about him. Or, hell, maybe Madara just doesn't share your opinion about Kisame. He might have seen no reason to hide Sasuke from him."

"That means—maybe Itachi knows about it without Madara having a clue!" Naruto jumped to his feet as if he suddenly wanted to do something about it. "But…"

But of course, there was nothing that could be done. It would be great if Itachi was still safe and had the upper hand. Yet, the Kiri attack was days ago. Anything could have happened since then.

"He already said he'd take care of Madara himself," Naruto muttered. "If he found out about _this—"_

"You mean Itachi? When did he say that?"

"Er—" Great, now he'd let it slip. "Okay, I talked to Itachi again. It was right after we got back to the village, before the Kiri mission. I told him Sasuke was missing, but I didn't know where."

"You went to talk to Itachi by yourself _again?_ How did you even manage to hang out with an Akatsuki member without…" Jiraiya paused. "You left the safety of the village. You didn't tell anyone where you were going."

Naruto felt his face turning red in the darkness. "I know it was risky, but he's not a bad guy! Besides, I got to try syncing with the trees around the village, and they really boost my Sage Mode. If we can't see Sasuke from here, then maybe there—"

"Whether he's good or not isn't the issue; I _told_ you that," Jiraiya said impatiently. "The point is you shouldn't be taking these kinds of risks alone. I've tried to make it clear that we're—" Jiraiya stopped talking abruptly.

"What?"

Jiraiya stood from the rock he was sitting on and stepped closer to Naruto. He stared narrow-eyed off to the side of the path, one hand held in front of himself, the other in front of his student.

"Who's there?" he called sharply.

Silence.

"Ero-sennin?" Naruto looked up at him, then to the place where he was staring. It should not have been possible for anyone to follow them here. Anyone on their trail would have lost them after they were reverse-summoned.

At least, usually.

Naruto's stomach twisted again, but he decided to take a chance. He stepped around Jiraiya and called out carefully: "Obito? It's alright. I think."

"I don't really feel like fighting a Sannin right now." There was a question in Obito's voice, but he stepped into view regardless, hands held open by his sides. His black eyes flickered from Jiraiya to Naruto.

Naruto knew without him having to say it. "You found out when it's happening?"

"Tomorrow. That's when we leave."

"Why don't you introduce me to your friend, Naruto?" Jiraiya said, as calmly as if they were still at the dango shop in Konoha.

Obito glanced back at Jiraiya. "How much does he know? I thought you had told Jiraiya-sama about everything."

"Not even close, I'm afraid," Jiraiya said. "I figured I might be able to find out more if we came here. It looks like my plan is already paying off."

"I didn't mean to—it's a really long story!"

"That's what you have said."

Obito sighed. "I think I know why. Naruto's trying to protect someone who doesn't deserve it."

He lifted a hand up toward his head. Somewhere in the middle of the motion, a thin mask appeared in his hand, and he held it over his face. It was partially broken. A large chunk out of the right side was missing. But the orange, spiral-shaped material was unmistakable.

"Do you know who I am now?"

"You idiot!" Naruto moved to snatch the mask, but it disappeared before he had the chance. "Where the hell did you even get that?"

"Found it," Obito said unconcernedly. "The older me left some of his stuff behind in the kamui dimension."

"The older you. So I take it you were also part of Orochimaru's experiment?" Jiraiya stepped closer, watching them interestedly. "But you're not from this timeline. You're from further back, and your older self is the person we've been fighting. No wonder Naruto didn't want to explain it. But how did you get here?"

"It's my Sharingan ability. Space-time jutsu. It's my fault the future Orochimaru got here too, in case you were wondering. It had nothing to do with Naruto; he just got caught up in it. And I didn't ask him to cover for me, either. That was just a dumb thing he decided to do on his own."

"Obito—"

"So you're an Uchiha, but you're definitely not Madara. And we've met before, haven't we? Not just after you've grown up."

"Obito was on Kakashi-sensei's team when he was a kid," Naruto said in a rush, tired of being talked over. "In this time, everyone thinks he got killed in the war, but he's still alive, and he's going around pretending to be Madara and hunting down bijuu."

"I see, I see." Jiraiya crossed his arms and nodded. "And, let me guess: at some point between now and the future, I get myself killed because of him?"

The balmy air seemed to freeze. Naruto looked down at the stone pathway that led to the elder toad's temple. The intrusive memory was like a sudden off-key note. It was disorienting.

"No."

Naruto looked up at the temple, looming in the dark at the end of the path, just a few yards away. He saw himself shrugging off the truth, then turning to run up the stairs. It hadn't meant anything at first.

"No."

Jiraiya and Obito were both watching him with curiosity. Naruto closed his mouth and opened it again to give an explanation, something that would be less dangerous than the truth, but he hadn't yet thought of one.

"Great. It's good to know not everything is my fault," Obito said, rescuing him from his floundering. He followed Naruto's gaze up to the temple then walked toward him. "I'm not really worried about my older self right now. I need to deal with tomorrow. I have a plan whether you can help me or not, but I need to know so I can get ready. Like, right now. Sorry."

"Of course I'll help," Naruto said immediately. "That's what we agreed on, right?"

"Ah," Jiraiya said in comprehension. "I assume the plan involves Naruto leaving this world again, and yet again, he probably would have done it without telling anybody where he was going."

"Sorry, but this is really important, Ero-sennin," Naruto said, looking back at him slowly. "I don't want you to be worried about me going to Obito's time, but he's my friend and I have to help."

"And you never thought of asking me for help?"

Naruto and Obito exchanged a look.

"Huh?"

"Frankly, it was a good idea to not tell anyone you had a connection with 'Madara'," Jiraiya said. "It would either mean explaining about the Time-Spanning Incarnation jutsu, or it would just put you under suspicion. But I wish you had told _me_ sooner."

"You mean… it doesn't make you suspicious? You don't care?" Naruto would have expected him to be more shocked. Or at the very least, disappointed.

"Naruto, I grew up with Orochimaru as a teammate. And I hate to say it, but I'm getting old. True, this space-time stuff is way out of the norm, but I have seen a lot of unbelievable things in this world of ours." Jiraiya sighed. "I know you didn't ask to be pulled away from here the first time. And you making friends with people on the other side, no matter who they are, wouldn't surprise anyone who actually knew you. Besides that, I've been around you and seen the context of everything. At least, more than most."

Jiraiya sat down on a rock beside the path and gestured toward them. "Why don't you fill me in? Maybe I can see something in the situation you two can't."

"I can't stay very long," Obito said.

"The short version, then."

"Ok. So what does he already know?" Obito looked at Naruto.

"Most of it." Naruto slid off his backpack and sat cross-legged again on the soft grass. "I just left you out 'cause I wanted to figure out how to deal with Akatsuki on my own. I thought I could put all that off and focus on finding Sasuke first."

"So how many people did Orochimaru end up using for his experiment?" Jiraiya asked.

"Three," Naruto said. "Er—four, I guess, since he tried it on himself, too. He always acted like he couldn't use it a bunch of times. But Obito was there with me at the base after I got captured. We escaped because of his dimensional jutsu. Then after we each got back home, he found out how to use it to get here, so… that's pretty much it."

"Yeah," Obito said. "And I'm trying to change the part of the past where I end up half crushed to death by a giant rock. Kakashi in the future time told us some stuff about it, but not a lot. Do you know anything about that incident, Jiraiya-sama? You weren't anywhere near the Iwa front, were you?"

"Not quite. But now that you mention it, I remember you now. Your death, anyway. It was a while before I heard about it, but Kakashi took it hard. They all did. But none of them ever told me the details."

"Damn," Obito muttered. "Then… you could go with us? You were still in the war, even if you weren't in that area. Your younger self wouldn't be there, so nobody would know. You could come up with some reason for being there."

"Or we could ask Kakashi-sensei to explain it better," Naruto said quickly. "We just need to talk to him and find out—"

"We don't have time to do that! We'd have to explain everything all over again to the one in your dimension, and if we talked to the one in the future—first we'd have to find him, and we don't know what's going on there. I don't want to mess with that time anymore. It's got nothing to do with us."

"I'm not keen on reliving the war," Jiraiya said. He had grown thoughtful, looking up at the masses of stars overhead. "I don't think it's a good idea to go back to the past and try to change things. Not that I blame you for wanting to. It's just not for me."

"You don't have to. But I still want to go," Naruto said. He looked up at Obito. "I can keep watch on everybody in the area. I'll be able to tell if anyone is trying to ambush you."

Obito crossed his arms with a frown. "That's what I was thinking. But if Jiraiya-sama is there, he wouldn't have to watch from a distance. He could stay right there with us, and it'd be easy to make up an excuse for it. We'd be a lot safer that way. That's what I care about the most."

"I guess it can't be helped, then. Not if you are going to do it either way," Jiraiya said.

"You'll do it?" Obito snapped his head toward him.

"I'm not going to go fight in the war. But I can protect a few kids if they're going to throw themselves into danger regardless."

"Then, what'll I do?" Naruto said begrudgingly. He didn't like the idea of being shunted away from the action. More importantly, he didn't want Jiraiya involved in the risks of time travel, no matter how capable the Sannin was.

But he couldn't fault Obito for wanting to give them the best chance of success.

"Old-Kakashi said that Minato-sensei left to do part of the mission by himself, which leaves Kakashi in command. So I think both of you should stay in my kamui dimension until after we split up. I don't know yet what sensei has to do, but I know it's going to be important for the war. That's the only reason I want to do this without him," Obito said. "If we lose the war, we won't be safe anywhere. Naruto, you should stay far enough away that Kakashi won't notice you, but close enough where you can still jump in to help."

"Okay."

"That sounds good. Maybe _you_ should have been second in command for this mission, rather than Kakashi. I remember how he used to be." Jiraiya grinned. "Though, if I remember right, after losing you was when he started changing."

"I'm not letting myself get obliterated by a rock just to make that asshole get better," Obito said. "Okay, if you guys are coming with me, you'll have to stay in my dimension from the time I meet up with the team until after we split up. That will probably be the whole day."

"Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but there aren't any bathrooms in your dimension," Naruto said.

"I can pick you up right before we leave tomorrow, then you'll just have to deal with it! Do you want to help or not?"

"I'm just saying, if you get the chance to let us out after a few hours, that would be good. Don't forget about us just 'cause we're not like Kabuto."

"Whatever. I'll keep that in mind." Obito uncrossed his arms. "I'm going back now to get ready and stuff. You're still going to be here, right?"

"We're staying down at the temple," Jiraiya said, inclining his head toward it.

"Okay, good. I won't have to worry about hiding." Obito took a deep breath. "Thanks for agreeing to help me. If—if for some reason things go wrong, don't worry about me. Protect Rin. And Kakashi too, I guess, if it's convenient."

"What have I gotten into this time?" Jiraiya sighed.

"See you later," Naruto said.

Obito gave a short nod and disappeared.

Jiraiya stood from the rock and resumed the walk down toward the temple. Naruto pushed himself out of the grass and swung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Thanks, Ero-sennin," he said after a moment.

"Don't be too grateful. I think you're asking for trouble by messing with things in other timelines," Jiraiya rumbled as they walked the stone steps up to the temple. "But I do want to see how this dimensional thing works. And if you're letting me in on your secret plans now, that can only be a good thing in my view."

"I wasn't trying to keep stuff from you or anything. I mean, I guess I was, but I didn't mean it in a bad way." Naruto walked up the stairs slowly. The tiredness from their long day of travel made his feet drag.

"I know, gaki. Even when you try to hide something, you still end up wearing your heart on your sleeve. It just doesn't fit. That's why it's better if you don't try to burden yourself with secrets in the first place. Straightforward, unyielding, single-minded… that approach works for you much better. Though, I guess it hasn't really kept you from getting into trouble either. Maybe you're just meant for trouble."

"Oi."

They were now standing in the vast open hall within the Great Toad Sage's temple. The Great Toad himself was there, snoozing in a pool. Naruto followed Jiraiya around toward a doorway near the back. There was little danger of disturbing the toad with their footsteps, but they walked by in respectful silence.

On the other side of the door was small room with another pool set into the floor. It looked like some kind of meditation room, with bare stone walls and a miniature maple tree with red leaves planted beside the pool. Circular windows showed stars on the distant horizon.

"What is this?"

"There aren't any rooms meant for humans here. We'll pretty much just be camping in this room, but at least we've got a roof over our heads."

They settled down beside the pool, and it really was like camping. Naruto unrolled his sleeping bag and crawled into it, too sleepy to do much of anything else.

"Naruto, I know you're tired, but I just want to ask one more thing. Orochimaru was lying, wasn't he? He knew you didn't want to talk about Obito, so he made up another reason for how he jumped over here."

"Yeah. I guess it's because all this time, I've—" Naruto turned over on his side to look at him. "When we were in the future, me and Obito were both under a summoning contract with Orochimaru. He could send me back home whenever he wanted to. The problem was, he didn't think he could call the exact same version of me back. So he put the same kind of control tag on me as what he uses for the Edo Tensei—what I've seen him use, anyway."

"Makes sense to me. That explains how he could summon you back multiple times," Jiraiya said.

"It was more than that, though. He could see through my eyes no matter where I was. He could actually control me. It only happened once—he made me attack Obito, and we ended up escaping after the building started collapsing and Orochimaru got distracted. He never had the time to give Obito the same seal. I basically exchanged us going home for letting the seal stay. I mean, there were other things involved, but it was the only way I could think of to get everyone back. So I still have it, and he could be listening to us talking right now if he wanted to."

Admitting it out loud was relieving as much as it was frightening. Jiraiya was listening intently, and he finally looked surprised. Or maybe alarmed. It was difficult to tell.

"You still have it? You're still under the contract?"

"Uh, sort of. Yes and no. My… someone was able to counter the seal with their own, and they made it so I can't be pulled away or taken over."

Naruto was too tired to bring up his dad on top of everything else. Not when they would probably be near him tomorrow. Not when Jiraiya had taught him the Rasengan without mentioning the most important thing about where it came from.

"We'll have to do something about that. But, at least you don't have to worry as much about not catching Sasuke before he left the village."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You were disappointed about not having that shared experience, right? Well, I'd say you have an even better one now. Sasuke was cursed in a similar way. Even more so if he gets mixed up with Akatsuki. You've both had the joy of dealing with Orochimaru."

Jiraiya said it with such a deadpan expression that Naruto gave a small snort of laughter.

* * *

Despite how tired he was, Naruto had a hard time falling asleep right away.

When he did fall asleep, it felt like he only closed his eyes for a second before warm morning light was in the room and Obito was shaking him awake.

Naruto sat up immediately. Jiraiya was already up, sitting off to one side reading a book. Naruto realized it was the same one they had found at Orochimaru's base all that time ago.

"Are you still going to go with us, Ero-sennin?"

"That's the idea," Jiraiya said. "Though I think I'd prefer if this as a one-time thing. Generally speaking, I like the past to stay the past."

"Thanks for helping," Obito said. He seemed nervous, even jumpy. "I'm about to leave to meet with the team. I'll take you with me now, then bring you guys out when we get started on our part of the mission."

"I had a thought," Jiraiya said. "If you can travel between the dimensions whenever you want, wouldn't it be easier if you brought us there when you're ready for us to follow you, instead of now?"

Obito shook his head. "I can't go between them instantly. I have to pass through my kamui dimension first. If you're in kamui, I can pull you out without having to leave my world." He looked between them. "You remember what you have to do, right?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "We can do this, no problem. _You_ can do this."

"Alright." Obito took a deep breath and held out his hand.

Naruto put his hand on top of it. Jiraiya closed the book and put his hand on top of theirs.

"Go Team 'To!" Naruto said. Despite everything, he wasn't above being ridiculous in the face of danger.

The transition was seamless. There was no sense of motion; only the sight of the world twisting and becoming dark before it came back again.

Obito must have told Kabuto about their plans, because the youngest member of their group was out of his tent and eagerly trotting toward them the moment they appeared.

"I'll be here for medical support in case anybody gets hurt! Of course, I hope that none of you do."

"Kabuto…?" Jiraiya said, comprehension dawning in his voice by the time he finished saying it.

Kabuto immediately turned shy. "You're… Jiraiya-sama, right?"

"The one and only—at least, in my timeline."

"I'm going back now. I'm already running late. Kakashi's going to be pissed." Obito said tensely.

He gave a quick salute and disappeared without waiting for an answer.

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Mission At Kannabi will post September 29. Until then!**


	18. Mission At Kannabi

**(posted 9/29/17)**

 **CHAPTER 18 | Mission At Kannabi**

 **Obito** emerged into Konoha at a safe distance from the meeting place, landing at a hidden spot behind several shops that put him reasonably close to the gates. It was better not to kamui-travel inside the village, especially during the day, but he was already running late. Every old shopkeeper in the Uchiha district would want to say hello if he walked from home.

The street was all clear. Obito trotted onto the main road and toward the gates, where the team would be waiting.

The nerves jangling in his stomach threatened to upend his breakfast, but he had to act normal. If Minato-sensei noticed something was weird, he might ask about it, and Obito had nowhere near the resolve to not let everything come spilling out—

 _Which is what you should have done to begin with,_ the nagging voice of doubt inside his head told him. Protecting Rin was more important than this mission, right?

Yes. But if Minato was supposed to make a big move against Iwa today… there was no way to predict what would happen if that part of history didn't get fulfilled.

 _Should have gone back and asked old-Kakashi more about it._

"You're late," Kakashi said, brutally cutting through Obito's thoughts and Rin's greeting wave.

 _Yeah, nevermind._

"Sorry I'm late," Obito said in a rush. "I was talking to this old man and kid, and the old man started reminiscing about his wartime days, and—"

"No one wants to hear your stupid excuse," Kakashi said. "We're in a war right _now_ , in case you forgot."

"Kakashi!" Rin said in a hushed voice. She glanced aside at Obito.

"If he's not up for this mission, he should stay home. We don't need anybody dragging us down."

"That's enough. Everyone has a vital role to play in this mission, Kakashi," Minato said. He frowned at them and then shook his head. "Let's go."

It was like that ever since Obito returned from the Lightning Country. Kakashi was even more of an asshole, Rin acted like he might have a breakdown at any moment, and Minato-sensei thought if he ignored the problem, they might eventually get along.

But none of that mattered.

Obito pulled his goggles up over his eyes, mouth set in a grim line of determination. He couldn't let Kakashi get a rise out of him today. Even if the new jounin missed out on a much-needed reality check. Even if the whole team went on favoring Kakashi instead of him.

"I'm not going anywhere," Obito said. "You better get used to it."

* * *

Naruto and Jiraiya waited for hours. Naruto kept pacing around, chafing at their inability to see what was happening on the other side. Jiraiya passed time by talking to Kabuto and asking questions. Kabuto, who always seemed more reserved around adults, warmed up to the Sannin quickly. He told him all about where he came from and how he'd met Obito and Naruto in the future. And about his current situation. Jiraiya seemed genuinely interested.

"So are you planning on staying here forever? Even when you get older?"

"I'll probably never be able to go home," Kabuto admitted. "But I do want to see the outside world sometime. Someday, I think I want to live in one of the other timelines. This body should age naturally, but how long it can live… all we know is it's probably a really long time. It can be destroyed, though, which is good because I don't want to be immortal."

"Those are some heavy thoughts for a ten-year-old."

"I'll be eleven soon," Kabuto said, pushing up his glasses with a glimmer of a smile. "And Obito just turned thirteen. But we have a lot to think about."

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying I'm older than him? He's already a chuunin!" Naruto said, latching on to the main point that caught his attention. " _I'm_ the oldest?"

"It's the opposite in your timeline, isn't it?" Kabuto said. "I'd like to meet my older self. It would be easier to do now that Orochimaru-sama is there."

Naruto was going to retort that Orochimaru's presence never made anything easier, but he suddenly found himself unable to move. He felt a wave of vertigo, and glanced at Jiraiya just in time to see his alarmed expression.

It was starting.

They were both dropped into a dark forest. At first glance, it looked like one of the old forests in the Land of Fire. But it didn't take long to see that the forest was made of gigantic bamboo stalks instead of trees.

"We're not too far outside of Kusagakure," Jiraiya said. His eyes darted back and forth as they got their bearings.

Obito appeared and walked in closer to them. "We're making camp near here. I stepped away for a minute, but I can't be gone long."

"What's going on?" Naruto whispered. "You guys were supposed to get there by now, right?"

"Kakashi got hurt acting like an idiot, so Minato-sensei is having us rest here until tomorrow," Obito mumbled. He seemed strangely subdued. "They're asleep right now, but it's too risky for you to stay close for long. It'll be a few more hours before we move on, but I decided to let you out so you can take a bathroom break or whatever."

"Ugh, it's about time." Naruto rushed around to the other side of a nearby bamboo stalk.

"Maybe we can stay out here and follow you from a distance," Jiraiya said, keeping his voice low. "Then, even if you can't find another chance to get away, we'll still be able to help."

"Okay… if you think you can do it without Minato-sensei noticing."

"Yeah. He's definitely a tricky one to sneak up on. But we can keep track of what's happening from a long distance, especially if no one's expecting us."

Naruto finished relieving himself and started trotting back. But the moment he rounded the stalk to rejoin the group, he saw Jiraiya suddenly tense and look into the forest.

"Damn. I think he's already noticed me."

Obito's eyes went wide with alarm. "I'll take you back—"

"It's too late." Jiraiya whirled around and gestured back at Naruto, talking quickly. "Hide! Blend in using Sage Mode. _Stay out of sight_."

Naruto had no time to argue before Jiraiya turned back around toward Obito, a plume of vapor enveloping his body. When it cleared, Jiraiya's appearance had changed. His hair was shorter and a little less wild. Instead of the gi and flashy red haori, he wore dark gray clothing with lighter gray flak armor.

Naruto hid behind the bamboo and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. He leaned against it, pressing his hands flat to the plant's cool, smooth surface. He sensed it, tried to harmonize with it, making his energy indistinguishable from it.

Obito looked appropriately startled when Minato emerged from the dark forest behind him, but it wasn't really an act.

"It's best not to stray too far from the camp, Obito." Minato said, but he stopped at the sight of Jiraiya. He looked surprised for a moment, but then his eyes narrowed. "Jiraiya-sensei?"

Obito tensed. "Um, he—"

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in Waterfall—"

"—Looking for alternate routes to the border. I know." Jiraiya gave a nervous chuckle when Minato failed to relax. "Oi oi, don't give me that look, Minato. You'll finish me off before Iwa has the chance to. We found a way through, but it's not very efficient. I was sent down here to scout another way. I heard you were arriving at the front soon. Sorry for being sentimental and stopping by. We haven't had the chance to talk since I got back from Ame, after all."

Minato looked from one end of the clearing to the other, cautiously alert. "I'm glad to see you, too, but—you of all people should know we're too close to enemy territory for me to accept that. Do you have any proof?"

Jiraiya held out his hand. Minato tensed, but he didn't move. A swirling ball of bright energy blossomed to life and spun in Jiraiya's hand. It illuminated their faces with flickering light.

"How about this? You haven't told me how impressed you are yet."

The concerned lines across Minato's brow smoothed. "I'm sorry. It has been an eventful mission. We fought with an Iwa scout earlier today. I was worried that information about us might have slipped through."

"You're out here to cut off supply channels to the Iwa forces, right? That sounds more like a stealth mission than a fighting mission to me. Then again, I wouldn't have expected them to be out this far, either."

"We had some… unexpected complications. Kakashi was injured, but we'll be able to continue on tomorrow. He will be leading the team after that."

"Maybe Jiraiya-sama should come with us on the mission. I mean, since Kakashi got hurt and all," Obito said.

Minato hesitated. With a thoughtful frown, he glanced at Obito, then up toward the tops of the impossibly tall bamboo stalks.

"Hey, now." Jiraiya said, raising an eyebrow. "Who said I'd be interested in another babysitting job? I've earned the chance to get away from the front. Don't go volunteering people for stuff, kid."

"Huh?" Obito turned to him in alarm and confusion. "But, Jiraiya-sama, aren't you here to—to make sure we do well against Iwa?"

"I was, but I get to go home as soon as I report in. I just took a detour to say hello to Minato. I'm sure you kids wouldn't be on this mission if you couldn't handle it on your own."

"What're you… then what was the point of—of coming here to talk to us?" Obito said angrily, struggling between his indignation and the need to keep the real reason for Jiraiya's presence there a secret.

But Naruto grinned to himself as he listened. He understood what Jiraiya was doing.

"What? Is it unusual to expect a capable team to do their own missions without someone holding their hand? You've spoiled them too much, Minato."

"You understood the parameters of the mission before, Obito." Minato was now looking at Obito with a different kind of concern than before.

"Ugh, fine. Whatever. We can do it on our own. Stay here and have a tea party with your toads for all I care." Obito turned and stormed away, going back toward their camp site.

"Hmph. Disrespectful brat."

Minato took a step after Obito, but then stopped.

"Jiraiya-sensei."

"Hm?"

"Sorry, but do you think you could just… look after them, from a distance? This is supposed to be Kakashi's mission, and he wouldn't appreciate it if he thought I didn't have confidence in him, but… their teamwork is not as strong as I would like it to be right now."

"Kakashi, huh?" Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "Sakumo's son. I've heard he has quite the chip on his shoulder. And you have that hotblooded Uchiha to boot. It's amazing you've managed to get them this far."

"No," Minato said. "They're a good group. They're talented and passionate. But I feel like this war will eventually tear them apart if it doesn't come to an end. This is Obito's first foreign mission since he was captured and held in the Lightning Country. It has changed him. He used to be so straightforward, but now he keeps things from me all the time. Even though he has good intentions, I can't help but worry."

"I know that feeling."

Minato smiled faintly over his shoulder. "I hope it's not me you mean."

"Nope. I know you're going to strike fear in the hearts of the whole Land of Earth tomorrow, and come away from it without a scratch. They'll be telling stories about it for the next decade, and everyone will be clamoring to make you the next Hokage."

"Alright, alright." Minato laughed. "Just don't let us interfere with whatever secret mission you're doing here."

"I would definitely keep that in mind, if there were such a thing," Jiraiya said blandly. "Anyway, I'll be sure to hang back, as long as nothing goes wrong."

"Thank you."

Jiraiya sat down on a fallen bamboo log and let out a long breath. Naruto stayed hidden until he felt that Minato was all the way back with the team. He came out cautiously, but stayed in Sage Mode a bit longer, just in case.

"What're you gonna do? Obito thinks we're ditching him!"

"Probably not. He's smart enough to figure it out." Jiraiya took in a deep breath and let it out again slowly. "Speaking of, we're not going to be able to fool Minato for very long. I hope whatever we're doing here can be resolved in a day, because he'll know something's up the moment he talks to the younger me. If not sooner."

"He knows Obito has met people from other dimensions before," Naruto said, looking in the direction Obito and Minato had gone. "But he just thinks Obito got his Sharingan in Kumo. Obito had to explain it when I was here 'cause some other people saw me."

There was a long, awkward silence. The question of Minato loomed larger than anything either of them had avoided before.

"Say, Ero-sennin…"

"Guess I can't lecture you too much about hiding things, can I?" Jiraiya said with a gruff sort of gentleness. "Sorry, gaki. We have a mission to do right now."

Naruto felt his control over the Mode wobble, and he had to close his eyes to allow it to settle back into harmony. He wasn't sure if he was angry at Jiraiya, or if he was, why that feeling decided to well up so strongly at such an inconvenient moment.

Maybe it was too easy to forget that Jiraiya had been close to his family. Just hearing about it didn't make it seem real.

Maybe it really _was_ better not to think about that right now. For Obito's sake. Naruto extended his senses down into the earth, where everything was solid and calm.

Except it wasn't calm. They were close to the Iwa front, and the vibrations of moving earth reverberated as clearly as an earthquake to Sage Mode. They were not attacking, but digging traps and trenches. Building fortifications. The fighting had stopped for the night, but both sides were restless. Everyone was tense. They knew—or maybe only hoped or feared, depending on the side—that Minato would be there soon. They could sense that something was about to shift the battle.

It was a lot like the Fourth War, except not. In this war, the different sides were all human.

Naruto opened his eyes again. "What happens tomorrow that makes people talk about it for a decade?"

Jiraiya glanced aside at him, looking older than ever despite the disguise. "For now, let's just focus on surviving the day. That's the best thing to do when you find yourself in a war."

* * *

The day started well before the sun rose. Jiraiya moved them further away from the team before they settled down inside the hollow trunk of a bamboo stalk. Neither of them slept much, as they had rested plenty while they were inside the kamui dimension. They mostly sat in silence.

It was only a couple of hours, but Naruto was zoning out from sheer boredom when a little messenger toad appeared and croaked loudly. Naruto sat up and looked around at Jiraiya.

"They're on the move. Let's go. And you, don't mention this mission outside of this place, ok?" Jiraiya said to the toad. "Don't even mention it to me."

Naruto couldn't tell if the toad understood the strange request or not. It just stared at Jiraiya with its neck bulging out every few seconds. Then it hopped away and out of the hidden entryway they'd made in the bamboo stalk.

"How're we supposed to tell Obito what we're doing if we can't talk to them? He's going to have a hard time covering this up as it is."

"We won't be telling him, but we're not hanging back, either. I'll make contact with them after Minato leaves. Obito will just have to figure it out at that point."

Naruto stood up. "Ok. I'll run ahead of you guys and look out for Iwa-nin on the way there."

"Do you know where we're going?"

"Some big important bridge, right? I think I can find it."

Jiraiya shook his head. "Even if you can see them before they see you, it's too risky. They could have laid physical traps your Sage Mode can't detect as easily. Remember, Kakashi fought against an Iwa scout yesterday. Even if no information got back to them, their missing man could tip them off to a problem."

"But what good does it do for me to keep watch if I'm behind everyone?" Naruto scowled.

"You'll be able to see just as far, whether you're in front or not. You can jump in if we get into trouble, but don't go _finding_ trouble we don't need. I'd prefer you make it back home in one piece."

Jiraiya moved toward the entryway. "Stay back here until you see me meet up with them. But if any enemies come around here, don't leave."

"Okay. Unless I can take them out. Or get around without them noticing," Naruto added at Jiraiya's heavy frown. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to mess up Obito's timeline."

"I'm getting too old for this," Jiraiya muttered. He ducked out of the entryway to outside.

Naruto waited for half an hour before he got to work. He made a kage bunshin. He and his replica sat back down at opposite sides of the bamboo, facing each other. He could still only maintain Sage Mode with one clone, but it was still enough to double his time.

Then he spread his senses out to search. He didn't want to miss a single moment of what was about to unfold.

* * *

Obito zipped his backpack, practically feeling the rest of his team members watching him. He suspected that, while he was asleep, Minato might have said something to Kakashi about how uneasy he'd acted last night. How he'd wanted Jiraiya's help.

Or maybe he was just being paranoid.

Damn that old man! Obito didn't like looking like a coward in front of Minato, the person he most looked up to. And Kakashi already thought he was barely qualified to go on this mission. For once, Obito wasn't trying to call attention to himself. They needed to concentrate on the mission.

Obito swung his pack over his shoulder, trying to look aloof. When he turned around, sure enough, Kakashi was staring at him skeptically.

It took all his willpower to bite back a scathing remark. Kakashi wasn't so perfect, either. Before Obito had brought the others out of his dimension, he learned the truth behind Kakashi's overbearing obsession with the rules. Obito had made up some excuse about going for a walk after Minato told him the story about Kakashi's dad.

'Try to understand'; that's what Minato had said.

It wasn't what he had expected. The older Kakashi never said anything about it. All he said was Obito had knocked some sense into him on this mission.

So what? There was already too much to keep track of. If they all made it through today, there'd be time to think about that later. It bothered him, but he pushed the feeling away.

"Are we ready to go? If Kakashi's done slowing us down, that is," Obito said.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed at him, but he couldn't deny it. He had probably spent his sleeping hours running constant mental simulations of what went wrong.

"I'm healed and prepared. Are you sure you don't need to get all your crying out of the way before we leave? Oh, _sorry_ , I meant get the dust out of your eyes."

"Stop it, both of you," Rin said immediately, walking between them with her hands held up in a stopping gesture.

Minato sighed. "This mission will help us gain the advantage if we are successful, so I hope you all will remember that. Me and the others will be fighting hard on the main front to draw their attention away. If you can't get over your differences, at least put them aside for this one task."

"Yes, sensei," Rin said.

"Understood," Kakashi said, giving Obito a pointed look that clearly said he blamed their 'differences' on him.

"Yeah," Obito mumbled.

Minato paused for a moment. It seemed like he was waiting for something—perhaps a more enthusiastic show of team solidarity. But he gave up on that fairly quickly.

"Alright, then. Good luck."

Then he left, and Kakashi was in command.

"We'll take the route discussed at the briefing," he said. "I want us to go in single file, with Rin at the end of the line and me in the front."

"Shouldn't Rin be in the middle? She's our only medic."

"Which is why she needs to be at the back of the line," Kakashi snapped. "That way she can stay back if we run into enemies."

"But what if there's a sneak attack?"

"I am the leader here—"

"My job is critical to the success of the mission," Rin said firmly. "I'm here to make sure you can keep fighting through any situation. I can't do that if I have to look over my shoulder to make sure you haven't gotten lost, Obito."

The small smile she gave completely took the wind out of his sails. He hoped Jiraiya and Naruto were nearby and still trying to help him.

Had to be, if nothing had happened to them. They didn't have any way of getting back to their timeline otherwise.

Kakashi took his silence as agreement. "We'll stay as hidden as possible until we've successfully completed the mission. It would be best to slip past the enemy and plant paper bombs on the underside of the bridge. Then, we can be far out of sight by the time it collapses."

That strategy, at least, suited Obito. "Alright, _taichou_."

* * *

They had only been moving for half an hour when Kakashi held up his hand, signaling them to halt. Obito's stomach flopped nervously, and his eyes darted back and forth. He was ready to activate the Sharingan at any moment.

But who stepped into view was none other than Jiraiya, wearing his younger disguise and holding his empty hands in clear view.

"Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi said, an edge of caution to his voice.

Obito looked from Kakashi to Jiraiya. "Me and Minato-sensei met him last night. But I thought you had your own mission to do, Jiraiya-sama."

The annoyance in his voice was clear. But Jiraiya didn't seem bothered by it. He shrugged while keeping his hands held up.

"I did. But since I am amazing, I managed to finish it ahead of schedule. I wondered if you guys were still out here. Thought I could give you a hand."

"With all due respect, that will not be necessary, Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi said stiffly. "It's our mission, we should be the ones to—"

"It can't hurt, can it?" Obito interrupted. He still hated to look like a chicken in front of his team. But he would feel a lot better moving forward if Jiraiya was there right beside them.

Kakashi turned to glare at him. "Even if Jiraiya-sama is offering, we are the ones who were assigned this mission. The only person who commands us in the field is Minato-sensei, and he left _me_ in charge."

So that's what it was. Kakashi was so stuck on being the one in command, he wasn't willing to let anyone who might take over help them. Obito was one hair's breadth away from fulfilling his destiny by punching Kakashi out again.

"Sure, you're in charge, Captain Kakashi." Jiraiya said smoothly. "Congratulations on making jounin, by the way. Minato speaks very highly of you. I'm glad to see he finally got that recommendation put through. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do."

"Maybe it would be a good idea, just this once," Rin said, glancing at Obito.

Kakashi gave an annoyed sigh. He clearly did not want his important moment ruined by the presence of a Sannin. But there was no ignoring the fact that their chances of succeeding in the mission would increase exponentially with him around. The _mission_ , Obito realized, was the key here.

"If Jiraiya-sama stays at the end of the line, he can keep watch and protect Rin," Obito said. "We won't have to worry about the enemy trying to take out our medic. Then we can go out further ahead and plant the paper bombs. That way, we can get back to Minato-sensei sooner, too."

Rin raised an eyebrow at him.

Kakashi thought about it for a moment longer. "Alright. Jiraiya-sama, stay behind us and watch our backs. If there is a confrontation, protect Rin first. If something happens to me, then you will take command."

The 'but not a _minute_ before' was heavily implied. Obito rolled his eyes. Rin gave a relieved sigh.

* * *

They got seventy-five percent of the way there without any problems at all. Obito was beginning to think this entire mission had been blown out of proportion.

Still, he was tense. Reassured as he felt with Jiraiya behind them, the lack of any obstacle made him more nervous than if they had encountered the enemy outright.

A quick consultation of the map showed they were almost there.

The group continued forward in single file. Obito followed Kakashi over a shallow creek. They were still surrounded by giant bamboo shoots, but the scenery was getting rockier as they went along.

Obito felt a shiver over his skin. It wasn't the sense of something concrete, something he'd heard or seen. It was a feeling of aimless dread. The feeling of being watched.

He stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder.

"Obito?" Rin said quietly.

Jiraiya looked serious. He had felt it, too.

"Everyone—" Kakashi started.

A boulder in front of them exploded. Instead of moving forward, Obito lunged back, towards Rin. But she was suddenly surrounded with a strange barrier made of sharp white spikes. Jiraiya twisted around and the spikes shot out behind him, piercing bamboo and grass and earth. A spray of blood came from seemingly the thin air.

"Keep your eyes facing forward!" Jiraiya roared at him.

There was a loud clash of metal. Obito whirled around, his heart feeling so full in his throat he thought he might suffocate. Kakashi was holding back an Iwa-nin with the White Fang's blade. It was a wild-looking man with equally wild hair.

"Sannin!" He snarled. He wasn't even looking at Kakashi.

A crackle of electricity went through the chakra blade and the Iwa-nin jumped back. But as he did, he threw a fistful of shuriken back at Kakashi, who was still completing the swing of his sword.

Obito bolted forward and tackled Kakashi, pushing him out of the way. The last few shuriken would have clipped them, but they sailed through as if the two weren't there. Kakashi stumbled and glanced from Obito to the empty air and the shuriken on the ground in a rapid succession.

Whatever gears were turning in his head, however, never got the chance to complete their rotation. Withered bamboo leaves fell down from above and they both looked up to see the Iwa-nin retreating. He'd already given up on saving his comrade and was now determined to alert everyone to Jiraiya's presence.

Another thing Obito had not foreseen. Of _course_ Jiraiya being there made their target extremely obvious. That was the whole point of Minato making himself conspicuous elsewhere. Now they would know.

"He's getting away!" Obito growled. He made to step forward, but Kakashi grabbed his arm.

"We won't be able to sneak up on the bridge if he warns people. I'll chase him down. Jiraiya-sama has the other one. You can go ahead to plant the bombs."

Kakashi tried to hand over the packet of intricate paper seals, but Obito shoved them back at him. "You could make it to the bridge whether they found out or not. _I'll_ go after him."

They stared at each other for only a second. Maybe Kakashi saw the sheer fire of determination in Obito's eyes. Or maybe he simply decided to prioritize completing the mission. Either way, he let go of Obito's arm.

"Make sure he doesn't have time to warn anyone."

A shadow passed over Obito's heart.

"Don't worry. He won't."

* * *

 **The kannabi mission arc continues in Chapter 19: Follow The Leader on October 6. Until then!**


	19. Follow The Leader

**(posted 10/6/17)**

 **CHAPTER 19 | Follow The Leader**

 **Naruto** sensed the moment the two sides met. He knew the team was closing in on the exact spot the two Iwa-nin were waiting. He rushed through the forest to try to catch up, burning through his first round of Sage Mode in order to close the distance. He knew the team could handle themselves, but it was his job to help them avoid trouble in the first place.

He was concentrating so hard, he could see and hear the scene. The first Iwa-nin went after them from behind, but was quickly countered by Jiraiya. The second one ran off the moment he realized it was a hopeless fight.

Then the team split up. Kakashi left. Obito turned to go but faltered in his step. He looked back and said, "Don't let that guy go! Protect Rin!"

Obito went one way, pursuing the fleeing Iwa-nin. Kakashi went another way, moving straight ahead from where they were. Rin and Jiraiya were still in the same spot, fighting against the second Iwa-nin.

Naruto stopped, hand on a bamboo stalk, catching his breath. He could still track everyone using Sage Mode, but that also meant he couldn't make extra clones to follow them. Which way should he go?

Obito would probably tell him to look after Rin, no matter what the circumstances were.

But Jiraiya and Rin would be fine. With one Sannin and a medic, no ordinary shinobi stood a chance. Kakashi didn't seem to be fighting anybody, so Naruto decided to follow Obito. At least it would be easier to help someone who already knew he was there.

Naruto changed his course and veered onto a path to intercept Obito. They weren't running anymore. He could half-see, half sense what was going on.

Obito had caught up. His Sharingan was activated—he wasn't hiding his abilities now. The Iwa-nin's strikes met nothing but empty space. His energy fluctuated and boiled, probably furious at being bested by a kid. Instead of fleeing to protect his precious information, he chose to fight. The earth split with a bright flash of energy that lit up like a beacon to Naruto's senses.

Both sides completely forgot their greater missions. They were aiming to kill.

* * *

It did not take Jiraiya long to subdue the Iwa-nin that had tried to sneak up on them. The man had used a tricky Earth-style jutsu for temporary invisibility, but now he was laying on the ground, fully visible, and unconscious.

"Jiraiya-sama?" Rin's muffled voice came from the spiky mass of hair she was enveloped in.

"Oh, sorry." Jiraiya undid the jutsu and Rin emerged cautiously. "I don't know if you heard, but the group split up. Kakashi's gone to the bridge, and Obito went after the other enemy."

"We have to help." Rin looked down at the Iwa-nin. "What did you—he doesn't even look injured."

"Right." Jiraiya tied his long hair back into place. "What's important for this mission is that no one find out where we're going. If everything goes well today, they'll have no choice but to surrender. This guy can sleep through the end of the war."

His explanation was only partially true. More importantly, he was leery of messing with the past. It wasn't _his_ past, not really, but killing some random guy in another timeline was just asking for trouble. Inadvertently-destroying-the-entire-world kind of trouble.

Perhaps it bordered on superstitious, but his imagination was more than happy to come up with the wildest of doomsday scenarios.

"So we need to keep them from getting information back, without pointlessly wasting any more lives," Rin said. Her eyes were alight with something approaching awe.

"Er… exactly." Jiraiya gave a quick look around. "I'll just keep him detained with my capture toad until the mission is over. But that still leaves the question of where we go from here. Which of your reckless teammates are we going after?"

"You should back up Kakashi. I'll find Obito." Rin's hands were clenched on the straps of her backpack, but her determined gaze did not waver, even when Jiraiya turned to her with a raised brow.

"Are you sure about that? We'll be dividing our forces even more. Plus, I think those guys would murder me if I let you head through enemy territory alone."

Rin shook her head. "Obito was right—Kakashi has the best chance of getting to the bridge. But if he has to fight, he'll be completely outnumbered. He needs you."

"And Obito?"

"We can't just leave him behind. But if we both go, it'll be too late to help Kakashi. Please, Jiraiya-sama. We already—" she drew in a long breath, "we already left him behind once. He'd never admit it, but even Kakashi would want us to follow Obito this time, even if it meant risking the mission. But we _can't_ risk this mission. You go to the bridge. I'll find Obito."

Jiraiya scratched his jaw thoughtfully. He trusted Minato's assessment of the team. Rin was already chuunin, qualified to make decisions, and she understood the team's dynamic infinitely better than he did. Besides, Naruto was still out there, keeping track of where everybody was. Rin's idea was a gamble (and he'd almost certainly have a Sharingan glare to look forward to), but it also made sense. It cut straight to the option no one else would be willing to take.

"Alright," Jiraiya said. "But when you find Obito, I want both of you to immediately regroup somewhere safe. If he hasn't caught up to the enemy by now, it's better to give it up than to go in deeper."

"Understood." Rin sounded relieved. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sama."

* * *

Naruto jumped out of the way as the ground gave way underneath him. The earth crashed into a deeply dug trench, kicking up enough dirt into the air to make him cough. He cast out his senses as he scrabbled to solid ground, but all he could feel was Obito and the Iwa-nin fighting nearby. They'd both been lured into a field of pitfalls—held up by engineering, not chakra, so they couldn't be sensed.

Naruto climbed the side of a gigantic bamboo stalk only to launch a barrage of kunai at himself with another trap. Swearing colorfully, he managed to jump away to another stalk much further ahead. This many traps would slow down anyone, if only out of the necessity of countering them. Anyone, that is, except for Obito.

Naruto jumped down to the ground and cautiously approached another torn-up clearing. He was finally close enough to see them as Obito and his opponent took another lunge at each other. The Iwa-nin missed for what must have been the dozenth time, and Obito disappeared into thin air the moment the man's back was to him.

"Damn it!" The Iwa-nin jumped back and adhered to the side of one of the giant shoots. There was a bleeding cut on his neck, just above the protective collar of his vest. He was out of breath and disheveled. His eyes darted back and forth from bamboo stalks to broken clusters of rock. "Where did you go this time, Uchiha brat?"

Silence. Obito was waiting.

The man must have decided to take a wider look, because he turned and ran up the shoot just as Naruto stepped into the clearing.

"Oi!" Naruto shouted to get the man's attention, and it worked. The Iwa-nin stopped on his perch high above and turned to look for him, blades flashing.

But then Obito appeared out of the bamboo's surface directly behind the man and grabbed him. Without pausing, he twisted around and pushed off, launching them both backward to fall toward the ground a hundred feet below.

The Iwa-nin yelled and tried to struggle, but the sound of his voice abruptly stopped. His body was immobilized mid-shout. For a second, Naruto was frozen, too. He took one stunned step forward as gravity hurled both combatants toward the rocky ground.

"What're you…"

Obito let go at the last second, suddenly freeing the man's movements. It wasn't soon enough to allow escape. It looked like they both hit the ground, but Obito kept going and disappeared. The Iwa-nin wasn't so lucky. His back slammed into the earth. Naruto heard the horrible crack of breaking bones. He ran forward without even knowing why, what he wanted to do. Help? Help who?

Naruto held out a kunai in front of him and crept cautiously through the debris. Naruto bent to check the fallen shinobi, tense, senses alert to any movement. But the Iwa-nin was unconscious—not dead, at least not yet, but his energy was dwindling. The man's face was a mess, blood pouring from a broken nose and seeping out between his busted lips. No telling what his _insides_ looked like.

Naruto felt Obito rise from the ground behind him. His hostility was sharpened to a fine point. When he took a step toward the Iwa-nin, Naruto threw out his hand, despite knowing how insignificant a barrier it was.

"Stop it. You've beaten him. He's not going to be warning the others any time soon."

Naruto looked over his shoulder. Obito was glaring at him with red eyes.

"These guys had to be the ones that did it. They were going to take Rin and nearly kill me."

"If you do anything else, he's going to die."

There was a moment of tense, uncomfortable silence. Naruto didn't lower his arm, but Obito didn't try to walk through it, either.

"What do you think this is? This is a war."

"Yeah, it is. But I get the feeling what you want to do has nothing to do with the war." Naruto dropped his arm and turned fully around to face Obito. "Remember what you said about Sasuke? He turned into what he is because of revenge. All he thinks about is getting even for something he can't fix. The last time I saw him, he was fighting on the same side as people he hates. He has turned completely around from where he started, and I don't think even he knows who he is anymore."

"There's a difference. I _can_ fix what happened. I can do it right now."

"Then how far will you go to go to fix things? Are you gonna find Madara again and try to destroy Kirigakure? Find out whoever the Sanbi jinchuuriki is right now and lock them up so it can't get loose?"

Obito narrowed his eyes. "Now you're starting to sound like Orochimaru."

"No I'm not! Don't change the subject!" Naruto glared back at him just as fiercely.

"If I go after Madara, it'll be to get rid of him before he has the chance to do anything else. Unless you think I should let him go free, too?"

Naruto was about to make another scathing retort, but he stopped suddenly. The way Obito said that made it sound like… "You _weren't_ thinking of finding Madara during this mission, were you?"

" _No."_ A flush crept up into Obito's face. "The only thing that matters for this mission is making sure everyone comes back from it safe."

"If that was true, you wouldn't be trying to go after someone who's not even conscious," Naruto said. He pointed a thumb at himself and stepped toward Obito. "If you still want to fight, I'll take you on anytime. You can get it out of your system. But I'm telling you, I'm not going to let you become like him."

Naruto looked up suddenly, freezing in place.

"What?"

"Crap! Rin is coming this way."

" _What?"_

"She and Ero-sennin must have finished over there… I need to go hide." Naruto crouched down in a way that was very reminiscent of a frog, then jumped up impossibly high into the air and out of sight.

Obito followed his progress with his Sharingan, mouth slightly open in surprise. He'd never seen Naruto use Sage Mode for anything but searching.

The sound of bamboo leaves crunching underfoot brought Obito back to reality. He deactivated his Sharingan and turned around.

"Are you okay?" Rin said, trotting up, slightly out of breath.

She glanced down at the prone Iwa-nin. Obito took a step away from him.

"I'm fine. Where is Kakashi? Jiraiya-sama?"

"Jiraiya-sama went ahead to back up Kakashi. He said you would be fine on your own, but I wanted to make sure, so I followed you. He and Kakashi could be waiting for us by now."

"But that's dangerous!" Obito mentally cursed Jiraiya again. "Why would he let you go by yourself?"

"Because I told him I wanted to come this way." Rin frowned. "I know there's some risk, but it's not that far, and you left a wide trail. If you got hurt or ran into some other enemies… we're not just going to leave you behind."

She looked at the Iwa-nin, then back at him again. "You're not hurt, are you? What happened?"

She walked closer, and Obito looked away nervously again.

"I just found him like this. There—there are a ton of traps down here. He must have been in too much of a hurry to be careful. We shouldn't go any further in this direction."

Rin nodded and slipped off her backpack, crouching beside the unconscious shinobi.

"Wait—don't go near him! I mean—we have to hurry up and get back! There's no time to worry about the enemy!"

"'An enemy who can no longer fight ceases to be the enemy'. Wasn't it the Shodai Hokage who said that?"

Obito didn't know, and he didn't care. "He was powerful enough to get away with saying stuff like that. We're not."

But Rin was already healing the man. In a different situation, Obito would have admired her spirit and compassion. But he was terrified of what could have happened, what _had_ happened, in another timeline.

And now that the moment was over, he was finally starting to feel repelled by what he'd done. Rin accepted his flimsy excuse because she probably didn't think he was capable of turning someone into a bag of ground meat. He wiped his hands on his jacket, suddenly afraid there would be blood on them. The man's flak vest was streaked with it.

 _This is a war._

Who didn't Naruto want him to become like? Madara? Sasuke? Himself?

"You got lucky. These injuries are pretty serious. I'm not sure if he'll live, but there's a better chance now." Rin gave Obito a tired smile. "It's not the best thing, but I've given him something that will keep him asleep for a few more hours. I know we can't risk the mission. But if we win today, we won't be on opposite sides anymore."

Maybe not with them. Obito knew from the future that Kiri wouldn't be following them in surrender. But he didn't want to burst her bubble.

"I… didn't think about that."

Rin stood and gathered her things into her bag. "Alright. Let's go. Jiraiya-sama said they would meet up with us. Kakashi will probably take him to the place where we're supposed to wait for Minato-sensei."

Obito followed behind her. He looked back at the Iwa-nin, then looked up toward the tops of the bamboo stalks before he turned back around and trotted after her. A few seconds later, Naruto jumped down into the clearing, not quite as gracefully as he had jumped away. His Sage Mode was all used up. He put a canteen down beside the unconscious man's head and continued behind Rin and Obito, close enough to track them without the Mode.

Naruto was frowning, but not because of Rin and Obito's conversation, which he had barely been listening to. He'd decided to use the last of his time to search for any hint of Madara nearby. He'd never met the real Madara in person, but he'd felt the old Uchiha's presence before, during the Fourth War. It wasn't something he would forget any time soon.

He had to be somewhere in the area—near the bridge, along the route the team had taken, _somewhere_. But no matter how hard Naruto stretched his senses, all he could feel was the earth and the bamboo and the distant battleground.

* * *

Obito and Rin had not been at the rendezvous point long before Kakashi and Jiraiya returned.

Kakashi hadn't known Jiraiya was following him until after he started on his way back, and he didn't look too happy about it. Jiraiya assured Kakashi he had no intention of bailing him out even if he had gotten into trouble, and Kakashi stared at him as if trying to decide whether the Sannin was making fun of him or not.

The next part of their mission was to meet back up with Minato. That meant making sure the rendezvous point was still secure, then waiting until they received word from their sensei.

"Well, it's been fun. You kids try to stay out of trouble," Jiraiya said after they went through all the standard checks. "I trust you can handle it from here. I've got other things to get back to."

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Jiraiya-sama?" Obito said. He was hard-pressed to come up with a more subtle way of getting Jiraiya away from the others. If he waited until Minato came back, it would be even more difficult.

"Sure thing," Jiraiya said lazily. There was absolutely no hint that he was anxious to get home. Obito had to give him credit for his acting skills.

"Be right back," Obito said to the others, who were looking at him and curiosity (Rin), and annoyance (Kakashi).

They walked far enough away that Kakashi and Rin couldn't see or hear them. As soon as they were out of view, Naruto dropped right down into their group.

"Thanks for your help," Obito murmured.

"It's no problem. Just don't ask for it again," Jiraiya said.

"You think you guys are going to be okay from here?" Naruto said.

"Yeah. It'll be better if I go back with them the rest of the way without you guys. But I'll meet up with you as soon as I can. I just hope Minato-sensei doesn't ask too many questions right now."

"I don't think your secrets can be secret much longer. The moment anybody talks to my younger self about what happened here, Minato will know. And so will everyone else," Jiraiya reminded him.

"I know. I just need to… I'll explain it to Minato-sensei after we make it back home."

"Well, good luck. I'll be interested to hear how it goes."

Obito turned to them and held out both his hands.

* * *

They were back in the kamui dimension a second later.

"You did it?" Kabuto came trotting up to them excitedly. He must have assumed that, since they were all still alive and in one piece, the mission must have gone successfully.

"Yeah." Obito gave a pained grin. "It was… I don't think I ever want to do that again."

"But you're gonna have to, right? On the next mission…"

The next mission. They would be dealing with Kiri again, but on the opposing side.

Obito glanced at Naruto. "We've still got time to figure out what to do. Maybe I can find out more about it from old-Kakashi. First I need to make sure we get back to the village alright, after I take these guys to their time."

"I want to stay here," Naruto said, making everyone else look at him. "Me and Kabuto should both be ready in case Obito needs us. The mission's not over until the team makes it back."

"Are you sure? You were complaining about having to wait around in this place before," Jiraiya said. "Don't forget about what we're doing back home."

"I won't. You can wait too, if you want."

"You know I don't want to do that." Jiraiya frowned. "I get the feeling that's not the only reason you want to hang around. What do you plan to do from now on?"

"What do you mean?"

Jiraiya regarded him thoughtfully, then sighed and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"Just be careful, and don't take too long. I'll keep trying to find out whatever I can."

Obito shrugged and placed his hand on Jiraiya's arm. "That's fine with me. I'll make sure Naruto gets home. Be back in a second."

They vanished, and Naruto sat down on one of the crates near Kabuto's tent.

"Is everything alright?" Kabuto sat cross-legged on another crate. "If they're at the place Obito showed me on the map, it shouldn't take long for them to get back home. On the way in, they only had to rest overnight because Kakashi got hurt."

"I just want to see this through to the end. We're a team now, that's what we do, right?"

"Yeah." Kabuto grinned.

As promised, Obito returned very quickly.

"I told Jiraiya-sama I would bring you back after a day, and he seemed fine with that. We're lucky he's so easygoing. I hope Minato-sensei will be as easy to deal with when he finds out his future son is around."

"So, are you going to tell him soon?" Kabuto said.

"Isn't that the real reason why Naruto wants to stay behind?"

"It is?" Kabuto put his fist to his palm in realization.

"I dunno. You mean once the team gets back home? I don't even know what I'd say." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. Mostly, he meant what he said about being there in case Obito needed help again. But he also didn't want to leave without doing… something. Exactly what, he wasn't sure.

"Why not? I think it should be fine after that," Obito said. "Minato-sensei already knows about the dimensional stuff—and that you come from somewhere else. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch for him to believe you're his son. I mean, look at you!"

"That's not what he means, Obito," Kabuto said, shaking his head. "I think you're lucky for having a clan, even if they're hard to deal with sometimes. At least you know who you are. We never had that."

Naruto cast Kabuto surprised look. "Yeah. I never knew, and I still don't know _why_ I never knew. It's really confusing, especially after what the future me said."

Obito scoffed. "They're a pain in the ass more than anything. Just figure out what you want to do. I'll see you guys when I get back home." Then Obito left.

"Thanks," Naruto said to Kabuto. "I guess… I forgot you lived in an orphanage."

"I was about to leave it, anyway." Kabuto gave a small shrug. "I'm worried about them, but if there's nothing I can do about where I came from, there might be something I can do in another dimension. I've decided when I get a little older, I'm going to Obito's time and find the orphanage there. I'll save them, and the younger me. I never had memory of who I was, so it will be easy for me to pretend I'm a long-lost older brother."

"Wow. I guess you have to keep training hard then, too! When you go save them, we'll help you." Naruto grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Thanks," Kabuto said with a shy smile. "I had the idea for a while, but I was too afraid to talk about it because I don't belong in that world. But Obito thinks there's no point worrying about that. He said, 'Wherever you can find happiness is where you belong. Forget the order of the universe.'"

"Yeah, that sounds like something he would say."

Kabuto's decision made Naruto feel a little braver. Their situation was extremely strange, but that didn't mean they couldn't make the most out of it. Maybe there was a way… it wasn't their fault Orochimaru decided to mess with time.

And after Obito's team made it back home safely, they would be able to concentrate again on finding Sasuke. Naruto decided to spend his time considering the next move, because it helped to keep his mind off other things.

He still thought Itachi was a key in all of it. If the big fish-man had been in Kiri, did that mean Itachi knew what had happened there by now? Naruto wasn't sure how the partnerships in Akatsuki worked.

If Itachi started following them like before, and if Sasuke followed through with his vow to hunt Naruto down, they were bound to run into one of them soon.

All assuming that nothing had happened to Itachi already.

Plus, there was still Obito's older self _and_ Orochimaru to worry about. Orochimaru had promised not to interfere, and he was supposedly getting rid of all the stuff his younger self was involved in. Naruto still didn't trust him.

He needed another chance to talk to one of the brothers. An opening to talk on _their_ terms, without interruption. Maybe Obito would be able to help with that, before his older self made things worse.

* * *

Naruto got a sinking feeling in his stomach, like gravity had suddenly reversed. For a second longer, he was still in the kamui dimension.

Then he tried to stand up, but stumbled and bumped directly into a—tree? An actual tree.

The second thing he noticed was that the light here was brighter and more natural. He was back in the outside world.

Somebody gave an alarmed shout the moment he appeared, and Naruto looked over to see that same wild-haired Iwa-nin, the one Obito had fought, staring directly at him.

"Well, well. What is this?" He gave a cruel smirk.

 _What?_

That guy shouldn't have been able to wake up, much less—

"It's the Yellow Flash!" Someone yelled as Naruto jumped to dodge a hail of shuriken.

"Nope, it's some kid." The first Iwa-nin shifted his blade from one hand to the other. "Does look a lot like him, though. You showed up just in time, kid."

Naruto twisted around to dodge the blade headed toward his face. It got embedded in the flesh of the tree and he kicked out hard to make some distance between him and the wild-haired man.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Twenty of his shadow clones appeared to fill the space; a few were popped immediately by a wildly swinging blade and a few kunai thrown their way from the other attackers. Naruto Substituted himself with a clone further back and quickly looked around to try to assess the situation.

He saw Obito nearby, the Sharingan glowing furiously beneath his orange goggles. He was facing against two unfamiliar Iwa-nin and doing fairly well from what Naruto could tell—neither one could land a hit on him. But he didn't have time hit back very well, either. While constantly avoiding every strike, there was no opportunity for him to stay tangible long enough to retaliate.

Naruto ran over there and punched the Iwa-nin that was holding a knife. The other one was unarmed, and the reason became clear a second later when she slammed her hands on the ground and a barrage of sharp rocks burst up through the ground and threatened to rip a hole through him. Obito grabbed Naruto's outstretched arm and transported them both to the other side of the clearing.

"What is going on?" The location change was so rapid that it gave Naruto vertigo.

"Attacked," Obito panted. "A big swarm of them all of a sudden—we got separated, but these guys are idiots. The minute Minato-sensei gets over here—"

"Why did you have to pull me into it right that second? That guy nearly took my face off!"

"It was hard for me to get away while they were ganging up on me like that. I figured you could create an opening. Can't be outnumbered with you around."

"Not this time, brat." It was the first Iwa-nin, and he aimed for Obito with unbridled fury. "Maybe you can use the same trick, but your skills are nowhere near the Yellow Flash."

Obito moved forward to attack the man, but he halted when the Iwa-nin's form suddenly crumbled into nothing but dirt and rocks. An earth-bunshin.

The arc of a glowing white blade, and the earth bunshin's head flew off and crumbled against a tree trunk. The real version was standing a pace back, too wary to face Obito without a shield. But Obito wasn't the one who had decapitated the copy.

Kakashi crouched down in front of the real one, sinking below the man's guard. The sword turned in his grip, catching the light.

"Wait! Kakashi-s—"

Obito scowled and jumped to elbow the Iwa-nin in the side of the head, knocking both his and Kakashi's strikes off their mark.

Kakashi moved with the interruption fluidly, using his momentum to turn. He turned and slammed Naruto back against a tree. Naruto felt the gleaming blade at his throat.

"You again," Kakashi said in a voice that was low, but ominous. "You won't lie your way out of this one."

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Burden of a Legend's Son will post October (Friday the) 13th.**

 **It will be an unusually long chapter, because there will soon be a break in postings (I do NaNo every year) and there are things in the story I want to have happen before that.**


	20. Burden of a Legend's Son

**(posted 10/13/17)**

 **CHAPTER 20 | Burden of a Legend's Son**

 **The** younger Kakashi pressed the flat of his sword against Naruto's throat, making it difficult to breathe.

"You were an agent of Iwa all along," he said coolly. "We _should_ take you alive to find out what you know, but don't count on that to save you."

"Let him go, Kakashi." Obito had deactivated his Sharingan the moment his teammate showed up. But even if he tried to jump in using kamui, Naruto wasn't sure he could make it in time.

Kakashi's response was to apply even more pressure to the blade. It still glowed faintly with energy—energy! That was it. Since he was trapped in place anyway…

Naruto closed his eyes and drew in shallow breaths through his nose. Within a few seconds he could sense the tree at his back, its roots, and—

Several Iwa-nin on the other side of the clearing started yelling in panic, cutting through Naruto's concentration.

"It's the Yellow Flash! Retreat!"

"No! The others were all—"

"Hurry! Get them!"

Someone swung a rocky, club-like fist at Kakashi, and he jumped back. Naruto opened his eyes and rolled away from the kunai that came flying at them. He didn't step far enough to prevent the last one from slicing deep, going through his coat sleeve and into his arm. Naruto cursed. There wasn't enough time to gather energy. Alright then, next plan—

He gasped as Minato suddenly appeared in front of Obito and Kakashi, without any sense of motion or disturbance of space. He was just _there_.

Minato grabbed the Iwa-nin that was now fighting Kakashi and they both disappeared. Unlike with Obito's jutsu, they were gone without the slightest warning.

"Hmph," Kakashi snorted, as if offended. He turned back to Naruto and struck out with a rigid hand. The strike hit the cut on his arm with bruising force, making Naruto yell out. Seconds later, Kakashi had somehow managed to pull Naruto's arm behind him and push him to the ground, face down with a sharp knee in his back.

"Ow! That was a dirty—oi, let me go! We should be helping!"

"This fight is over," Kakashi said in the same ominous tone as before. "You won't be able to help your friends now. Just sit and wait, it'll be your turn soon enough."

The confused shouts and barked commands continued. Obito was still fighting somewhere, and there was no sign of Rin yet. It was hard to see through the trees and undergrowth.

They were surrounded by enemies, outnumbered without a doubt, but the metal clashes and cries of pain from all around made it sound like they suddenly had dozens of extra allies on their side.

But there was only one.

Naruto's heart thudded against the ground. He cursed again loudly and tried to move around enough to kick Kakashi, but it was no use. Kakashi managed to stay in place while also keeping the occasional strike at bay with a chakra blade crackling with electricity.

Obito came into view again nearby, fighting the earth-style user from earlier. He still seemed reluctant to reveal his abilities in front of Kakashi. His Sharingan was no longer active, and he used weapons and bursts of fire instead of intangibility. They quickly moved out of view.

And then suddenly the forest was quiet. The Iwa-nin had all fallen or fled—with all the noise right before, probably more the latter than the former. And Minato was there again. Rin stepped out from behind him, eyes sharp and expression serious.

Kakashi was still sitting on Naruto's back, twisting his arm behind him painfully and ignoring the continual stream of muttered curses and abuse. But Naruto fell silent when he saw the other two in front of them.

"Rin!" Obito said, sounding intensely relieved. He trotted toward them, then stopped abruptly as if remembering the situation at hand. He glanced down at Naruto.

"Obito?" Rin looked between them, like she was trying to figure out what was going on just by their expressions.

"I had him waiting in the—I was going to bring him back here to help explain about everything, but then I was surrounded and needed some help. He had nothing to do with the attack," Obito said hurriedly, voice shaking.

"I thought there was someone following us. But Jiraiya-sama wasn't concerned about it, so I didn't say anything." Kakashi tightened his grip on Naruto's arm. "You led the enemy to us."

"I was watching out for you, dumbass!" Naruto growled.

"Alright, Kakashi. I hope the three of you can explain what's going on here."

Naruto's breath huffed out of him as Kakashi shifted, and he looked up.

Minato was watching them. His expression was unreadable, yet just like before, his posture suggested tension.

"We met Jiraiya-sama on the way to our mission objective, Minato-sensei," Kakashi said dutifully. "He went with us part of the way. I think this kid was following him, or following us."

"Obito," Minato said quietly. "I need to understand what this is about. This is not a coincidence."

"It's like I just said." Obito's dark eyes widened in panic. "I wanted some backup for the mission, so I've had him waiting in kamui since yesterday. When we got attacked, I brought him out to help. That's all. And I swear I was going to answer anything you wanted to ask after it was over."

"What's he talking about?" Kakashi said in a deadpan voice.

"Did anyone see you?" Minato asked, looking at Naruto this time. The intensity of his questioning didn't lessen.

"I don't think so. I mean, yeah, just now they did," Naruto said. He lifted his head as far off the ground as he could to try to glare back at Kakashi. "Not before the attack, though. Ok, I yelled to get this guy's attention once, but it was only for a second."

"Wait, though," Obito said slowly. "Why was he here? That guy you sedated, Rin. He was here, fighting."

"They could have reversed the effects with a good enough medic, maybe," Rin said, still looking at each of their faces in turn, clearly trying to understand. "They might have done that if they wanted to know what he found out. But it would have to be someone very skilled and precise. That's the only thing I can think of."

"I don't know of many in Iwa with that kind of skill. But leaving that aside, they were specifically hunting you all," Minato said. "If they used that man as a lead to get on our trail, that means they were probably after our team… or Naruto."

"Naruto? Who's—"

"I had nothing to do with it," Naruto said loudly. Then he paused. It was jarring to hear Minato use his name. He still remembered it from last time?

Then again, it would have been hard to forget the mess they made last time Naruto was around.

"Nobody else saw me before this," Naruto continued, trying and failing to roll to one side. "Could you stop sitting on me already? I can't feel my arm anymore. If you want to fight me then do it fair and square! One-on-one! I'll hang you out in a field, you scarecrow bastard!"

"Aren't you a bit off for a shinobi?" Kakashi's knee dug further into Naruto's back, making him wheeze painfully. "Of course people will see you if you wear bright orange all the time. And I have no reason to fight you 'fair and square'. That's not what we do. It wouldn't help you very much, anyway."

Minato sighed. "You can let him go now."

"He's hurt, Kakashi." Rin walked forward and looked at the gash on Naruto's arm.

"Yeah, he knows." Naruto winced. "It's not a big deal. It won't take long for something like this to heal up."

Kakashi hesitated for a moment, as if he expected Minato to change his mind. But when he didn't, Kakashi begrudgingly stood up and allowed Rin to take a look at Naruto.

"Sensei, he was with them. This proves that he's—"

"We won't discuss it here." Minato glanced around the clearing again. "We need to put more distance between us and the bridge. We will rest at the second jump point."

He put a hand on Rin and Naruto's backs. Naruto had traveled via Obito's teleportation often enough to realize what was about to happen, but he still wasn't prepared when, a blink later, he and Rin were in completely different surroundings.

They were near the rapid rush of a waterfall pouring into a river. The trees that huddled around the small clearing were bigger than the ones in their last location. They were definitely in the Land of Fire now.

Minato's Hiraishin didn't just look different from Obito's jutsu; it _felt_ different. It was like they hadn't moved at all. Minato was gone again. There was a lapse before Naruto's brain could catch up to the changed surroundings. Then, he got a sudden head rush that brought a wave of dizziness before fading away.

Rin didn't seem affected. She took out a bandage roll and started to work on Naruto's arm just as Minato, Kakashi, and Obito appeared.

"It's fine, I heal fast," Naruto repeated to Rin. Kakashi was watching him with intense suspicion, and Obito was glaring at Kakashi in turn.

Rin ignored Naruto's protest, a skill that felt as well-practiced as the deft movement of her hands. "There. If there is any soreness, let me know."

Naruto nodded and put his ripped coat back on. There was quite a bit of soreness, mostly because Kakashi had been so quick to target an injury, but he knew it would fade away soon.

"We should keep him tied up until we can take him back to the village for questioning," Kakashi continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "There's no reason for a kid like this to have been out here. You can't pretend he had nothing to do with that attack."

"I _didn't_ have anything to do with it," Naruto shot back. "I was trying to help, until you came along."

Minato gave a small shake of his head. "I do not believe that attack was planned in advance. Iwa's forces in the area have already surrendered, so what they did was in direct defiance of their orders. It was the opportunistic act of a few with nothing to lose."

"Then the question is how they _got_ that opportunity."

"I don't even know what happened. I stumbled into the fight while it was already going on," Naruto said.

Kakashi pointed at him. "Earlier, you admitted you were following us. If you're going to lie, pick one and stick to it."

Naruto shot Obito an exasperated look. But it was Minato who intervened again.

"For all we know, bringing him in _did_ contribute to the attack. I had hoped you would consider the consequences a little more, Obito. I don't want you to take matters into your own hands like that again."

Naruto looked over at Obito, who was frozen in indecision. Obito obviously didn't want anything to delay the team getting home. But he had said it was okay to explain after they'd successfully destroyed the bridge, right?

Naruto got to his feet and took a deep breath. "Obito had no choice but to change it. He was going to get killed—it was something we learned about in the future. The only reason he didn't want to tell you was 'cause he was afraid of it changing things too much. And I offered to help, so if you want to get mad at anyone, get mad at me."

"Do you know this kid, sensei?" Kakashi asked, brow furrowing.

Naruto didn't bother to explain any more. He knew that Minato understood by the way he paused, eyes widening around the edges.

"You can't know for sure it's the same." Minato frowned. "But even if that's true, Obito should have told me about the possibility. We could have sent a different team for this mission."

Obito snapped out of his lethargy. "Nobody but you could've defeated Iwa like you did today. And if it was another team, maybe they would've been captured instead, and it would have ruined everything."

Minato closed his eyes and gave a long sigh out of his nose. "Be grateful it didn't turn out worse. But when we get back, we need to discuss some ground rules."

"Is _no one_ going to explain to me and Rin what you are talking about?"

Silence for a moment.

Obito flopped back to sit on the ground, resigned. "When I was captured by Kumo, I unlocked the Sharingan. Long story short, its power lets me use a space-time jutsu that is linked to a pocket dimension. When I asked Naruto to help on our mission, I had him hide in there and brought him along with us. He's, uh… from another dimension."

Naruto laughed at the expression on Kakashi's face, which earned him a sharp eyed glare in response.

"That sounds incredible!" Rin said, placing her fingertips together. "Why didn't you tell us? You always looked forward to getting your Sharingan."

Obito half-shrugged. "I just wanted everything to be the same as it was for a little while longer. I didn't know how it would change things."

"Can we see? Is it like Minato-sensei's jutsu?"

Obito grinned. "Not exactly. But I can use it to transport myself, sort of like his." He stood up from the grass and stepped forward, disappearing like he was walking into an invisible portal. He emerged beside Minato, who looked stone-faced as ever, but the corner of his lips twitched.

"Wow! You don't need to have the Sharingan activated in order to use it?"

"Nope." But Obito activated it anyway, and pulled the goggles up off his face to show off his red eyes.

"You shouldn't have worried," Kakashi cut in. "Nothing has changed. You still can't go an entire fight without needing to be rescued."

Obito's grin fell away. "You'll end up with a lifetime of regrets if you keep acting like that."

"I could say the same thing for you. You got new powers, and the first thing you did with them was put our mission at risk. It seems like trash will remain trash no matter what."

Obito snorted. "You're right about that."

"Can't you two stop?" Rin said, sounding almost impatient. "Why do you always have to fight?"

"This _outsider_ is a threat to our mission, however he got here." Kakashi jabbed his finger at Naruto again. "At best, he's getting in the way. At worst, he's an agent for the enemy here to sabotage us. Not that our brilliant Uchiha would be able to tell the difference."

"That's enough already. Just shut up," Obito snapped, turning to him. "Not everything is about the mission, alright? You're just like Chief Fugaku and all the other stuck-up elites in my clan. I bet they would love to have someone like you instead of me. Well, I agree! I'd rather be related to someone like the White Fang."

Rin covered her mouth with her hand. Kakashi looked like he'd been hit. His eyes went wide, and he looked vulnerable for a moment. Then his scowl was back, more thunderous than ever.

"You'd rather have the reputation of a coward following you everywhere?"

"He wasn't a coward. He's braver than most of the people in our village. Especially the ones who tried to kick him when he was down. If that's the right way of doing things, I'd rather be wrong."

"You don't know what you're talking about. You can't make the right decisions based on your feelings at any given moment. That's why shinobi have training, that's why we have _rules—"_

"So you're not allowed to think for yourself, _ever?"_ Obito snorted. "At least the White Fang had a spine."

"Stop talking about him," Kakashi said through gritted teeth.

"This isn't the time," Minato said quietly. "I told you two at the beginning of the mission. For now, let's deal with the situation in front of us. We don't know if the rogues are still on the move, or if they will be facing discipline. Before we leave, I want to track them again to make sure they won't be a threat to the negotiations. Kakashi can come with me, if the rest of you will stay put."

"Sensei, there's a threat right here." Kakashi kept staring at Naruto. "Shouldn't you be more worried that some unknown person showed up in Konoha, and then again on our mission? I think it's pretty clear that Obito has helped a spy get into the village."

Naruto didn't fully understand what they were arguing about, but he was already getting sick of the accusation routine. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a spy? Konoha is my village, too. It's just a different version of it." He tilted his headband.

"What could be more suspicious than that?" Kakashi burst out in exasperation. "You come from another dimension? Yeah, right. Minato-sensei, you know that's not how space-time jutsu works. If you need to check back with the others, I would rather stay here and make sure this guy doesn't escape. Then, when you find evidence that he was involved, we can take him to meet Sandaime-sama."

"That aside, I don't think leaving all of you together is a good idea."

"Don't worry, Minato-sensei. We will _all_ do our best to wait here without fighting, so that you can concentrate on keeping the negotiators and everyone at the front safe," Rin said firmly.

Neither Kakashi nor Obito had anything to say about that. Obito crossed his arms. Kakashi glared off into the trees.

"Good. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't leave the spot unless there's an emergency." Minato still looked doubtful, but seemed to accept Rin's word. He glanced around at his team and Naruto one last time before vanishing.

There was a tense silence. None of them wanted to disappoint Minato, but it still felt like they were one misplaced remark away from a full-blown fight.

"Maybe you should just go home. Or I can leave you in kamui if you want to keep waiting," Obito said, turning around to Naruto. Rin was still standing beside him. She seemed serious about interfering with any conflict that arose.

"I don't really want to leave yet," Naruto said. "You guys haven't made it back yet, and you still might need my help."

"You're not going _anywhere_ until Minato-sensei comes back," Kakashi said.

"Okay. Just let me know when you want to leave." Obito flopped back on the grass again and crossed his arms behind his head. He pretended not to notice Kakashi's narrow-eyed glare.

Staying with the team was about as awkward as Naruto expected. Rin seemed more curious about him than suspicious, but Kakashi continued to have something against him.

The more time Naruto spent around this younger Kakashi, the weirder it seemed that he could be the same person as the one he knew. He half expected Kakashi to give up all appearances of obeying Minato and try to arrest him.

But the young jounin was either loyal enough not to try, or he knew he was outnumbered. Kakashi didn't make any moves, but Naruto felt the intensity of his constant stare as they waited.

They sat around for hours. Naruto got bored, so he started flicking rocks at Obito when he wasn't looking, just to see if he could land one.

"Knock it off," Obito said in annoyance as another pebble sailed through him. But Rin hid a small laugh behind her hand, and then he didn't seem to mind it as much.

Kakashi stayed silent most of the time, even as he kept watch on Naruto. The only time he moved was when his gaze periodically flitted to the large boulder beside the river.

"What is that?" Naruto asked him after noticing for the hundredth time.

As expected, Kakashi just scowled at him.

"It's the jump point," Rin explained. "That rock has Minato-sensei's Hiraishin mark on it somewhere."

"I told you, it's kind of like how I'm able to get into other dimensions," Obito said. "But it's way more reliable. I can't make my own anchoring points like that."

"Maybe you should try it. I don't like knowing I can only get home because that creep is still there."

"Do you really come from another dimension?" Rin scooted closer to him and Obito. "How were you able to meet in the first place if you come from somewhere else?"

"Um… it's a long story. It wasn't exactly intentional."

"There's no such thing," Kakashi said bluntly, unable to keep quiet any longer. "You can only move _through_ another dimension—maybe Obito's ability lets him go into it, like how stuff is stored in seals, but nothing could actually live there. There's no other _world_ with its own people and everything. If there was even the possibility of something like that, the Nidaime would have discovered it."

"Why? What's it got to do with him?" Naruto scratched his head.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?"

Naruto scowled. "You want to find out if there's no such thing? Obito can take you to my world. I'll let you see what you grow up to be like."

"No way," Obito said, wrinkling his nose. "I don't care if Kakashi thinks it's real or not. Besides, we need to stay here if we want to keep Minato-sensei's trust in us. He'll know if I leave."

Kakashi crossed his arms behind his head and sat back against the tree he was sitting under. "Well, I can tell you think it's real, anyway. Maybe you're just delusional."

"Obito was right. You need to stop acting like you know everything," Naruto said. "Who is the White Fang?"

He only asked because Kakashi's smugness was really getting on his nerves. But he didn't expect the other two to suddenly tense, or give their teammate furtive looks.

"No one." Kakashi sat up abruptly.

"Where are you going?" Rin asked as he got to his feet. She held one hand out subconsciously as if to reach for him, but then realized and curled it back over her chest.

"Checking the perimeter again. It's been a few hours."

Naruto felt like he might have made a mistake. "Hey, forget it, I'm sorry."

But Kakashi was already walking away into the trees.

"Wow, you managed to get rid of him," Obito said, but his sarcasm fell a little flat.

"I don't get it. I've never heard of the White Fang before," Naruto said quietly, hoping Kakashi was not close enough to hear.

"He was Kakashi's father," Rin whispered.

"Wait, how did you know?" Obito whispered back at her. "Minato-sensei just told me about it last night."

Rin shook her head. "I've only heard rumors. I wanted to know what was going on, so I asked people about it. He's been our classmate for years, Obito. Didn't you ever notice how the adults acted around him?"

"You mean, aside from fawning over how much of a prodigy he is?"

"No—that's just it. He's been trying to change the way people think of him all this time."

"What happened?" Naruto asked.

Obito turned to him. "The White Fang was famous in his day. Even I've heard of him, but just the name. Long story short, White Fang was on a mission and had to choose between completing it, or saving his friends. He chose to save them. But the failed mission was a big loss for us. It probably prolonged the war. Everybody was against it… even the people he saved said he shouldn't have done it. He was shunned. And he probably felt guilty, too, knowing there might have been more lives lost in the end."

"So then he… took his own life," Rin said softly. "Maybe it was all too much, or maybe he thought everybody would be satisfied after that. Then no one would try to take it out on Kakashi."

"What…" Naruto was rooted in place. "Why would he… how was that supposed to make things better? How was leaving supposed to help Kakashi?"

"Yeah, I agree," Obito said gloomily. "But Kakashi won't admit he misses him. I guess he just wants to pretend like it never happened."

 _Kakashi-sensei…_

There was so much Naruto hadn't known about him before these time-traveling adventures started.

Kakashi was really good at pretending things didn't happen. By the time he was an adult, he must have become an expert at it.

"When I get back home, I'm going to tell him everything," Naruto decided aloud. "Ero-sennin is already in on it, so it's only fair. And then we can ask him for more details about—uh, the other thing."

"Tell him?" Rin leaned forward curiously. "Did you really mean it when you said there's a grown-up Kakashi in your world?"

"That one is nothing like the person we know," Obito said quickly. "Things are different in Naruto's world. He didn't know about me or you or Minato-sensei when we first met."

"It still sounds interesting. If it's true and there are other dimensions, that's a really big discovery."

"Yeah, but I don't want other people to know about it." Obito glanced uncomfortably around at the clearing. "It's too dangerous. That's why I have to convince Minato-sensei to keep it a secret—at least the part about people living elsewhere."

"I'm sure he'll listen to what you have to say. Then he can come up with a good solution."

Obito's eyes landed on Naruto. "Yeah, hopefully."

* * *

Kakashi returned after walking all the way around the jump point. He didn't talk to any of them when he got back. He just sat up on a tree branch with his arms crossed, focusing his attention on the boulder this time.

But they were still waiting when the sun went down. When Rin silently started to set up camp, Obito and Naruto got up to help, and Kakashi disappeared again to make another restless pace around the jump point.

The three of them, minus Kakashi, were sitting around a small fire when Minato finally returned. But Kakashi was still the first one at his side, ready to enact his orders.

Minato didn't seem to notice. He looked mildly surprised when Naruto, Obito, and Rin all walked over to greet him expectantly.

"I thought you would have left by now," he said to Naruto.

"Well, you know. Kakashi really wanted me to stay around."

"What did you find out?" Obito said.

"Nothing definitive, I'm afraid." Minato shook his head slowly. "The meeting was able to take place uninterrupted. As for the rogues, they're all dead or missing. All evidence suggests they were acting on their own, but it's not clear if they were defiant of their orders, or just ignorant. This area is secure for now, but Sandaime-sama wants to stand by a while longer, ready to move in case any remnants show up."

"Did you tell him we captured a spy?" Kakashi demanded.

"No," Minato said, serious even as Obito rolled his eyes. "But considering our circumstances, Sandaime-sama will have to be informed. I just think it would be better to explain it to him in person."

"But, sensei—" Obito whirled around toward him.

"The Hokage may want to talk to Uchiha-sama as well, since he met Naruto before I did. But that will be up to him."

"Wait, does that mean I have to go too?" Naruto said nervously. He would rather see Hiruzen again in a better situation, and preferably without the Uchiha clan head present.

"Please don't, Minato-sensei," Obito said, a rare note of desperation in his voice. "Or—at least wait until you've heard the whole story! It's really important, and the Clan Head especially—"

"Asking a jounin to lie to the Hokage? Not suspicious at all," Kakashi snorted.

"I'm not saying he should lie, but he has the right to wait and get all the facts before making a report! That's not against the rules."

"Alright then," Minato said, though his tone warned against any nonsense. "Our orders are to standby here until further notice. There should be plenty of time for you to explain before I speak to the Sandaime."

Obito glanced at his teammates. "Uh… okay… but I'd rather talk to you about it alone. In my kamui dimension."

He looked at Naruto, who gave a grim nod. Obito was still thinking about Orochimaru. The less the snake knew about their plans, the better. Not to mention anybody else that could be listening in.

"Is there some reason _we_ can't know about it, Obito?" Rin said carefully.

Kakashi snorted. "Whatever. It won't change anything. Minato-sensei will still know if you're lying."

Minato noticed Naruto's significant nod, and now he hesitated, watching them.

"I really thought Obito would have sent you back by now," he repeated. "Won't you be leaving soon?"

"I want to stay here a little longer," Naruto said. "I promised to stick it out until you guys are home safe. I'll leave when you do. If—if that's ok."

It felt strange, asking for permission. Naruto was not in the habit of doing that. But Minato was different from the older Kakashi, or Jiraiya, or even Tsunade. Naruto wanted to stay with them, but he couldn't get a read on what Minato would accept.

Maybe it was a bad idea, with Kakashi determined to have something against him. He wasn't supposed to be in this world in the first place.

"Alright, for now then," Minato said eventually. "It isn't certain how long we will be waiting here, so I can't promise about later."

"Awesome!" Naruto grinned at Obito.

"But I suggest you don't get involved with any more missions like this. If anything happens and the village is put in danger, you will automatically be suspected. Obito can't keep that from happening, and neither can I. If you're really on our side, you should understand that."

Naruto's grin faded.

Obito looked crestfallen. "But…"

"I do understand." Naruto forced himself to look Minato in the eye. "Even if it's not my Konoha, I'll always do whatever I can to protect it. But I can't promise not to help Obito. I don't care if people think I'm suspicious—if that happens, it happens. You don't have to stand up for me."

Kakashi made a derisive sound and turned to walk back to the campfire. Apparently, he'd given up on the discussion.

Minato watched him go. He looked distracted, like he was considering several contradicting thoughts at once. But then he shook his head.

"It's late. Let's turn in. We may have new orders in the morning."

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes when Minato stood and walked past the fire, now nothing more than a pile of embers. He made no sound, but Naruto still woke up. Maybe he hadn't been fully asleep in the first place.

He gripped the edges of the sleeping bag Obito had provided him from his kamui dimension. The same gnawing feeling came back to him. It still wasn't a good time. But if he had to go home soon, there might not be a better chance to try talking to his dad one-on-one.

Naruto rolled over and stood in the chilly air for a couple of seconds, instantly regretting leaving the warmth of the sleeping bag. He looked around and saw Minato sitting on a log on the riverbank, closer to the falls and next to the moss-covered boulder. Naruto wasn't sure what he was doing. It just looked like he was staring over the water, absently thumbing the pages of a book. Was he thinking? Working on a strategy?

Deciding that comfort was more important than dignity, Naruto cocooned himself in the sleeping bag and walked over there, one corner trailing slightly on the grass behind him.

He had no idea what to say. No plan.

"Uh…" he let it hang awkwardly, even as Minato turned to look at him. He didn't know what to call this version of his dad.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?"

"No. Just. Can't sleep, I guess."

Naruto shifted from one foot to the other, indecision prickling at him, before he sat down on the opposite end of the log.

"So, how many of these jump points do you have?"

Minato ran his hand over the boulder's surface. "Many. I got permission to place markers on permanent landmarks throughout the Fire Country. My kunai are good for working in a contained space, but these make good, reliable escape routes. There might be a few unauthorized markers in other places." He gave Naruto a conspiratorial smile.

Naruto looked up at the sky. Up there, nothing looked any different. This place could just as easily be home.

"I… I wonder if they're still around in my time."

"They're permanent, unless physically destroyed."

"Even if you…"

"Yes."

Quiet descended on them delicately, like falling snow. Naruto drew in a deep breath. When he let it out, it turned into misty vapor.

"You're okay with telling me this stuff?" He lowered his head and looked aside at Minato.

"Have you ever seen this?" Minato closed the book he'd been holding. He held up the cover so that it caught the dim moonlight.

 _Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi._ It looked exactly like the book Naruto's older self had in the future. He had picked it up several times, but never read it cover to cover.

"Yeah. The future timeline—the place me and Obito and Kabuto got pulled into. I saw it there. But what does that have to do with…?"

"All three of you come from timelines between and now and then." Minato lowered the book. "I don't know anything about your world, but ever since Jiraiya-sensei gave me this book, I've thought to myself… if I ever had a son someday, I'd want him to grow up to be like the protagonist of this story. To think you would end up with the same name, the idea must have stuck."

"You _knew?_ "Naruto had to stifle his volume, to avoid getting the attention of the others.

"I guessed." The way Minato smiled was always restrained, but it lit up his eyes, as if he'd taught his emotions to stay exactly where he wanted them to. "I'm not old enough to be the father of a teenager, but it made sense once you told me about the jutsu Orochimaru developed. I was… a little worried those Iwa-nin attacked because they noticed. I'm not their favorite person right now. But I think you're right that only a few saw you."

"Then—why didn't you say anything?"

Minato looked at Naruto for several seconds. Then his gaze dropped down to the book in his hands. "Because I don't know much about the future, and I haven't decided whether I want to."

"It's really different from here. At least in my time." Naruto wrapped the sleeping bag tighter around his shoulders. "The time where I met Obito, further in the future, it was even more different. Things completely change, and it doesn't take long."

"Everything changes. Always. You can't run from that. But thinking about it too much can also make you hesitate when you don't need to. Sometimes it's better not to focus on it."

"Yeah."

"There is _one_ thing I… I want to ask. Whether it's a good idea or not, I don't know." Minato scratched his cheek, flushing slightly in the darkness.

"What?" Naruto asked, intrigued by his nervousness.

"You're… Kushina's, right?"

The only thing Naruto knew about his mother was her name and Obito's opinion that they were clearly related, though he never explained why.

"I think so," Naruto said with a snicker. "Why, is there a chance it could be someone else?"

"N-No!" Minato spluttered. Any solemnity he had was completely gone. "No. I didn't mean that at all. I-I just… we've talked about our future together, but sometimes it's hard to imagine being so lucky."

Their future together. Minato looked so happy that Naruto didn't want to dampen it by explaining there wasn't one. He and Obito would make sure that wasn't a reality here. But there was one thing he needed to ask, even at the risk of souring the moment.

"I guess I have a question, too," he said quietly. His heart quickened. He could feel Kurama's presence shift.

 _Don't do it, brat. This Minato has no answers you want to hear. Even I don't know why he chose you. He was well aware of the consequences._

Naruto didn't want to believe the fox.

It didn't help that he first found out in the worst way possible. It was always on the terms of some asshole who just wanted to use it against him. He had the chance right now find out something important on his own terms. Even if it was uncomfortable, he had to.

"What is it?"

"I don't know if it's a good idea or not, either," Naruto mumbled. "I don't even know the right way to ask, 'cause it hasn't happened yet. But I figure you at least know yourself better than anyone."

"Alright," Minato said cautiously.

"Do you know why you would… seal the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox in me when I was a baby?"

Minato sat very still, hands frozen on the edges of the book. He turned to Naruto in a single abrupt motion. " _What?_ "

No going back now. Naruto pushed on. "He'd attacked the village, so everyone was in danger, I get that. But why _me?_ I mean, maybe you can't know unless you're in the situation. I just thought…"

Minato shook his head, confused. "That should not have happened. The Kyuubi shouldn't have been able to attack Konoha."

"Huh?" That was not the response he'd expected.

Minato studied Naruto's face, concern pressing his features. "You don't know anything? What were you told?"

"Nothing. I-I didn't even know I had the fox until last year."

Minato's eyes became chilly and unreadable. He lowered his head, clearly trying to think.

' _What's he talking about, Kurama? Why wouldn't you be able to attack?'_

Naruto didn't hear Kurama answer, but he felt it. An overwhelming sense of bitterness. It rolled over him, coloring his own feelings. It reminded him of what they'd both endured because of that decision.

"There was a rule against telling anybody that I had it," Naruto muttered. "Including me. There still is, technically, I guess. The Third said it was so the younger generation wouldn't see me any differently. It didn't really work."

"I'm sorry. Without knowing the circumstances, I can't say for sure."

"But why _wouldn't_ he be able to attack?"

"It's not really my place to tell you that." Minato noticed his pinched expression. "But I think, in this case, it's better for you to know. Kushina was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi before you. That's why, unless something went terribly wrong… it should not have been able to attack."

Naruto's mouth fell open slightly in horror. Now he understood why Minato's shoulders bowed as if there was a great weight on them. Tsunade had explained to him what happened when a jinchuuriki lost their bijuu. It was the reason they had all been so frightened when he disappeared into the future.

Without even meaning to, he had given Minato a big hint about how all their happy plans would come to an end.

"That's not how it's gonna be here, though," he found himself saying. "Whatever happened… Obito has always said he's going to figure out how to stop it. And since you know now, you can too."

 _Hmph. The Uchiha brat says he'll stop it. Just don't give him a reason not to._

Naruto didn't respond to that. He figured Kurama was being prejudiced against Obito as usual. There were things to worry about with Obito, but the desire to save people he cared about was not one of them.

"Kushina," Minato murmured.

"Can I… meet her, too?" Naruto asked, knowing how unlikely it was. He probably didn't want Naruto to go back to the village now.

"I wonder what she would think." Minato leaned back and crossed his arms. "Let me try to approach the topic first, then we'll see. It's very—strange."

"Yeah."

"I don't think she would be very happy to know the Kyuubi was passed on to you. But if there was any way to… you don't know anything about how she might have…?"

' _Kurama?'_ Naruto tried again.

The anger and hate rose up again. Naruto could half-see Kurama's long tails uncoiling in the darkness, twitching in agitation.

' _Kurama. If a jinchuuriki gets killed, the bijuu disappears and has to regenerate. Is that what happened to her? To you?'_

 _No_ _._

' _Then what—'_

 _I was not conscious through most of it_ _,_ Kurama snapped. _I didn't attack the village, I was used against it. I was under the thrall of that cursed Sharingan, like too many times before. You should know by now that hosts are seen as valuable objects of power._

"Wait, it was an Uc—"

 _Shut up! You are so naive it borders on stupidity! Why do you think the Uchiha were exterminated in the end? And you think telling Minato will prevent it from happening? If he hadn't died, he would have made the same decision._

' _What exactly are you trying to say, Kurama?'_

"Naruto?" Minato asked, after he had suddenly spoken aloud. "Did you remember something?"

"No," Naruto said hesitantly. "I was trying to ask the Kyuubi what happened, but he doesn't want to talk about it."

"You talked to it?"

"I mean, yeah. We get along, more or less. Except when we don't. He doesn't like you very much for sealing him, either. I think he doesn't want you to know any details about it."

"I… see."

"Don't worry," Naruto said. "That won't happen. If we all know about it, it will be ok."

"I hope so. You know, I meant what I said before. About you not getting involved here anymore," Minato said softly. "As you can tell from Kakashi's reaction, we live in tough times. I don't want anything bad to happen to you because you came here and ran into trouble."

"What's Kakashi's problem, anyway?" Naruto asked, dodging the statement. "I heard a little about it, but it's weird. He's my jounin instructor in my time, and he acts completely different from the way he is here."

"Really? How does he act?"

"I dunno. Most of the time he seems like a lazy guy who reads perverted books out in public and can't ever be anywhere on time. That's like the opposite of here."

"It is. I can hardly believe it," Minato said with an undertone of amusement. "Maybe there are more differences in our dimensions than just the times. But it would be nice to see Kakashi like that, in a way. He has had a difficult life. Maybe you can ask the Kakashi you know if he used to be different."

"I have a friend that is sort of like him. He is the best on our team, but he is stuck living in the past. All he can think about is getting revenge on the people who put him through so much pain."

"I have seen many shinobi like that. That is what happens, war after war."

The air between them was too heavy. That was not what Naruto had intended when he sat down. He cast around for something more lighthearted to say.

"I have a jutsu I have been trying to get right," he blurted out. "Ero-sen—Jiraiya taught it to me. He told me you were the one who invented it. The Rasengan."

"Oh?" As he'd hoped, Minato's heavy demeanor vanished with the onset of his smile. "I'm surprised Jiraiya-sensei decided to teach you something like that at your age. It's a tough jutsu. Though, it should work well for you if you can get it right. You must have plenty of chakra to spare."

"Actually, I've mastered the Rasengan," Naruto said proudly, sitting up a little straighter. "But I'm trying to add wind element chakra into it, too. That's what I can't seem to figure out."

Minato blinked at him, looking genuinely surprised. "Did you say you've mastered the Rasengan?"

"I did it last year. And it only took me a week. 'Course, I had someone to teach it to me, so I wasn't starting from nothing."

"…Amazing. Maybe you will be the one to complete it, after all."

"Complete it?"

"I made it with the intention of adding my element in," Minato explained. "A _fuuton_ version of the Rasengan. It might even work with other elements, as well. I'm not sure. I haven't been able to complete that step, either."

"Are you serious? The older me, the one I met in the future timeline, he could do it! He was even able to throw it. He called it the Rasen-Shuriken."

"How?" Minato asked, leaning forward.

The happiness buoying Naruto deflated a little. "If I knew, I'd be able to do it. But I know what he told me about it. He said to use bunshin to help control it. That's how I usually make a Rasengan, anyway, so it makes sense to me. But it didn't work the last time I tried it."

Minato sat up straight and glanced back over his shoulder. "It's too bad you can't show me right now. It would wake everyone up."

Naruto got the feeling that Kakashi, at least, was already awake and watching them. Hopefully he would keep his distance. "I mean, I wouldn't mind it. Maybe Obito can take us to his kamui dimension and we can try it out there! I definitely wanna figure out how to use it."

"Maybe." Minato seemed to remember himself again—that there was the team to think about, and the mission, and orders from the Hokage. "We might have time to do that. But you should go back to sleep for now. I want to talk to Obito first thing tomorrow, and then I think you should go home."

"Wait, not yet. I'm not tired."

Naruto did whatever he could to prolong the conversation. He started talking about his own friends at home, and the starkly different Kakashi he knew. The more they talked, the more Naruto wanted to stay awake. It felt like there would never be enough time to cover everything.

Before long, though, his words started coming out in a heavy, indecipherable mumble. He wasn't sure when he fell asleep. Probably some time after leaning to the side far enough to sit shoulder-to-arm with Minato.

But when he woke up the next morning, he was lying beside the fire again, tucked snugly into his sleeping bag.

* * *

 **A/N:** **It will be a while before the next update. This story is turning out longer than I thought, so I am going to pause until I have enough chapters written in advance to keep up the pace of updates.**


	21. Venom

**(posted 7/21/18)**

 **Welcome to-IWBTW part 2, I guess? I know it's been a while since I updated, but I wanted to be sure I had advance chapters lined up.** **And between various circumstances, I didn't get the chance to start working on Part 2 until this year.**

 **The first 1-5 chapters of the second half will be on a two-week schedule, then it will switch back to a weekly schedule once I have the story finished or chapter 40 written, whichever comes first (as of this posting, I'm almost done with 32.) These chapters will also be more or less a setup for the endgame plot. I hope this works out okay. I just really wanted to get back to posting! Also,** **Part 2 will involve the Third War timeline much more, so allow me to gently acknowledge that I've adapted the logistics of that timeline to suit me instead of trying to make it, er, exactly accurate.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 21 | Venom**

 **Kabuto** knew something silent and indefinable had changed after that unusual day.

It was two weeks ago.

They had moved all the way to a base in the Land of Water to use one particular lab that was, as far as he knew, not special in any way. Then after a bizarre encounter with Jiraiya, Naruto, and some unidentified child, they had simply left for Oto. He'd heard no explanation for it yet.

They had been in the Sound for one week. But far from things returning to normal, it had only gotten stranger.

The base Orochimaru built beneath the village of Otogakure was intended from the very beginning to be their true center of operations. Its many rooms, labs, and passages were the heart and veins of the Land of Rice Paddies.

But that hum of activity had quieted down since they had returned. At least once per day now, Kabuto visited a lab or team or holding cell to check the status of a project… only to find the space deserted and empty.

He only had to shake the lab coats for explanations a few times before the cause became obvious.

They all said Orochimaru himself had sent their colleagues home.

Suspicious, Kabuto always went to Orochimaru to demand the reason. The Sannin answered calmly every time, busy at work on something he hadn't canceled yet, assistants scurrying around as if terrified just to be working near him.

He had correctly predicted Sasuke would return to them here, but nothing since then had made any sense.

It took a few days, but Kabuto finally managed to catch Orochimaru working alone.

Since when did he ever care to surround himself with others?

Kabuto watched as Orochimaru held up a vial of amber liquid to the light in his small study.

He cleared his throat. "Orochimaru-sama—"

"Tell me what you think of this one, Kabuto."

Kabuto frowned, but he accepted the vial when Orochimaru turned to hand it to him. He cautiously smelled it. "It's nearly undetectable. Poison?"

"Yes. I have been trying to replicate a sample I lost some time ago. It's not ready yet. There is still something missing, and it requires testing before I can confidently use it."

"Is something like this really worth your attention right now?"

"Of course." Orochimaru took the poison back and corked the vial before tucking it into his sleeve. "Is that why you're so restless? You think I'm wasting time here?"

"With respect, I don't know what you are doing," Kabuto said stiffly. "Sasuke has left the base several times already. Where is he right now? It's obvious he's been communicating with Akatsuki, yet you don't seem concerned at all. I haven't seen you training him since we got here. Is this some new agreement?"

"Nothing so clearly defined. Just a change in circumstances." Orochimaru turned back around to his desk and started jotting notes into an open journal. "Now that I have a new body, I have no reason to hold Sasuke-kun back from his preoccupation with Akatsuki. If he wants to continue training, he need only ask. Otherwise, he's free to do whatever he likes."

Kabuto crossed his arms. "I don't understand any of this. I can see that you found a way past your limit to get a new body, but how did that happen? It must have been the day that lab was destroyed, but I don't remember any important projects going on there. Why haven't you told me anything? And why have you cut short so many of our other studies?"

"Are you suspicious of me?"

There was a long pause.

"No," Kabuto said slowly. "Every test I've tried confirms who you really are—"

"—I thought as much, considering you haven't tried to kill me yet."

"I can only assume you've been planning something for a while, but I don't know what your objectives are. I don't know what I should be doing."

Orochimaru put down his pen and closed the notebook carefully, as if trying not to disturb its contents. "The struggle between Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, and Akatsuki's Madara already serves my objective."

"How?"

Orochimaru turned to Kabuto once again, eyes gleaming in the dim light. "Because _I_ was the one who killed the fourth Mizukage."

Kabuto crinkled his nose in confusion at the emphasis. "I know. I was there. What are you getting at?"

"Do you know why I killed him?"

"I thought it was to take one of Akatsuki's pawns away from them."

"That was the method, not the goal. Madara won't forget or forgive me anytime soon, but he is obsessed with pursuing the bijuu. When the Sanbi reappears without a host, he will do anything to get it back. And now that his enemies know what he wants, they will use it against him."

"There will be a race to see who can retrieve it first," Kabuto guessed. "And even if they don't think of it themselves, you could plant the idea and guarantee another clash between Madara and Kiri. But what does that mean for you?"

"For me?" Orochimaru said absently, as if lost in thought. He was feeling around in the depths of his sleeve pocket again.

"You don't set two sides against one other for no reason."

"Kabuto, you seem to think I am hiding my plans from you intentionally. That isn't true. The only thing I want to keep secret is how I obtained this new form, and that is only to reduce the risk of others learning it. But I'm afraid that even if I explain, you may not understand why I would do this just for the sake of curiosity and challenge."

Kabuto raised his brows high enough to make his glasses slip, and he had to push them back into place. "Why don't you try my understanding, then?"

Orochimaru lowered his arms. Kabuto thought he saw one spidery hand close over an object, but he couldn't tell what it was.

"When facing an opponent of much lower skill, imposing a penalty is the only way to keep the match interesting. I made an agreement that as long as I exist here, I would not do anything directly harmful to a certain person's cause. That makes it more difficult for me to get what I want. Influencing others not bound by the same rules is a valid strategy, wouldn't you say?"

"That sounds tedious to me. Who do you mean? And I still don't know what it is you want."

" _This_ is what I want."

Kabuto's eyes darted to the object as Orochimaru held it up. But it was not as impressive or enlightening as he hoped. In fact, it was so simple that it only confused him more.

It was a sealed glass cylinder, and in it floated a single Sharingan eye.

* * *

Sasuke paused beneath an awning, pulling the wide brim of his hat down lower over his face. He listened. He couldn't hear anything except for the rain. It rolled off his hat and mantle onto the concrete. He stared through the window of the darkened storefront and waited.

It was early morning now. There was no sunrise yet—assuming they ever got one in Amegakure. The few people he'd seen on the street had not so much as glanced his way. Everyone here kept to themselves, scurrying from destination to destination as if afraid to be seen lingering too long.

So why couldn't he shake the feeling that he was being watched?

Sasuke looked up to see if there was a camera nested underneath the awning, then he turned to look across the street. There was nothing—nothing visible, anyway.

He turned again and slipped into the small space between buildings, walking through a shallow gutter almost sideways. No one larger than him was getting through.

He quickly assessed the street he emerged onto. A dead end. It was the back side of two rows of shops.

Across from him, Sasuke saw nothing but covered trash bins and one-way doors. To his left was a gap between buildings that led to another road. To his right was a tall concrete wall threaded with pipes.

Someone had painted graffiti on it. Two angry eyes stared down at him, making the dirty alley feel like the lair of some giant creature.

 _There is no place to hide_.

Sasuke felt an involuntary shiver and moved toward the left. Turning his back on the eyes made him feel oddly threatened. He took the risk of activating his own eyes, holding the brim of his hat low.

He stopped walking the moment he got a good look around with his Sharingan. Something was very off about the colors, the ambient energy he could now see.

Most places in the world looked dull, or at least the same as they did normally. People pulsed with life. Jutsu flared brightly. But this entire place _shone_.

It was the rain. Every drop shimmered until it burrowed into the ground, like millions of sparks falling down and dying out.

 _It's a jutsu. All of it,_ he realized with sudden, terrible certainty.

All the sneaking and hiding meant nothing, as long as the rain could reach.

Sasuke clenched his fists and bolted for one of the doors. It didn't matter what was inside. If he could just get out of the rain—

His feet left the pavement and his hat slipped. The fragile material of oiled straw folded and cracked between his body and the unforgiving concrete wall.

He didn't slide down after hitting it. His back remained pressed to the wall, feet barely touching the ground. Some unseen force was holding him there. Sasuke saw something fly toward him and he jerked his head back. A loop of steel dug into the concrete, encircling his neck. He put his hands up to try to pry it off, but the edges were sharp.

Sasuke wasn't sure exactly when the figure appeared in front of him. The pressure on his chest made it difficult to breathe or to think.

"Who are you?"

Sasuke's hand twitched, and another piece of sharp metal slammed around his wrist. The hidden knife fell out of his hand onto the ground.

"Answer. Refusing to talk won't help you stay alive."

Sasuke could finally see the man clearly from his precarious position, head craned back to avoid sharp edges.

He man was tall and broad, with spiky orange hair that seem unaffected by the rain. And the eyes. They were like the ones painted everywhere throughout the city.

This was the man Sasori had warned Sasuke about. The one he was told to avoid at all costs. He realized now that had been a joke. A joke intended to get him killed.

"A child with the Sharingan. You must be the famous younger brother."

Sasuke's heart lobbed painfully, but he did his best not to let it show.

The pressure was almost unbearable. He tried to speak, but it was not possible. If the man really wanted an answer, he was not giving Sasuke the chance.

Sasuke heard a metallic scrape, and a thin, sharp rod appeared in his attacker's hand.

He could feel murderous intent creeping into his body like freezing cold.

"Oh, well. It might be good for him to lose you." Sasuke could barely hear the monotone over the rush of the rain and the blood in his ears. "He should have instructed you better."

Sasuke's lungs were being crushed. Spots and darkness were intruding on his vision.

"Wait."

Sasuke couldn't hear very well through the rushing in his ears. But he could see Madara there suddenly, standing beside the other one.

"Let him go for now," Madara said. "He could still be useful for leverage."

The shards of metal and the invisible pressure fell away at the same time. Sasuke fell to his arms and knees on the wet ground, coughing and heaving, gulping air so quickly it almost made him sick.

"Why did this child come here? Is this your doing?"

"I assume he tried to follow me here. He must have learned where I was from one of the others."

"I will not allow intruders in this village. I haven't cared what you do in your own time, but your actions come increasingly closer to jeopardizing our plans. You have put too much on the line for a single jinchuuriki that we can't even use yet. Isn't it time you said enough?"

"This is just family business, nothing more. I am being considerate by leaving Akatsuki out of it," Madara said.

Now that his breathing was returning to normal, Sasuke could hear the slight mocking tone in Madara's voice.

"I'll take care of it," Madara continued. "This won't be a problem again."

"I hope the effort will be worth it."

Sasuke saw the hem of the man's coat as he turned away. Madara stayed standing above him. Sasuke pushed himself up, first sitting with his hands on the ground, then getting his legs underneath him and standing. He hadn't quite shaken off the chill of the heavy murderous intent, but he was able to fix his features into a mask of cool indifference.

"So that's the one they call Leader," Sasuke said, testing out his voice. To his satisfaction, it didn't waver or crack. "How did you get someone like that as your pawn?"

"You could have easily died by coming here," Madara snapped. "You found out where I was, but somehow failed to notice the danger. Or did you simply think it wouldn't apply to you? Maybe I should have let the city devour you like all the other outsiders who felt confident enough to sneak in."

"You've been avoiding me," Sasuke said, growing angry in return. "What happened in Kiri? Itachi wasn't there. You weren't there. I did what I was supposed to. If _you_ had, maybe it wouldn't have been a failure. What happened?"

Madara looked down at him, and Sasuke saw the red glint of his Sharingan eye. "I had other things to deal with. Kisame should have been more than enough help for you."

"He had us leave when your army of missing-nin started losing the upper hand. When I asked him what was going on, he said that he and Itachi have been working separately for months. And no one has even seen him in weeks."

"Despite what you say, you haven't met the terms of our agreement, so I have no reason to hold up my end of the deal, either. But you should hurry if you want to be the one to kill Itachi. He is not in the best of health."

Madara started striding away from Sasuke; but it felt less like a dismissal than a sudden burst of agitated energy. Sasuke followed after him, talking clearly.

"I am the only one who gets to kill him. That is the deal we made. And I've done enough for you to tell me where he is."

"Why do you care?"

"I just said why. I have to be the one to kill him. And…" Sasuke paused. He stopped walking, and Madara did, too. "And I want to hear the truth."

"You know the truth," Madara said quietly. "Itachi killed everyone you knew and loved."

Sasuke could sense that he was wading into risky waters again. But that only made him more suspicious. Of course he knew what he saw. He knew the official story. But the doubt was only whispering louder.

"Yes," he said. "But there's more to it, isn't there?"

The rain filled up the ensuing silence.

"It has to be me," Sasuke repeated. "If anyone else takes my brother's life first, I will make whoever it is my next target, until one of our lives ends."

Madara looked to him again, and even though Sasuke couldn't see his face, he felt certain, for just a second, that the older Uchiha was about to tell him everything.

But he just gave an amused huff and shook his head. "Don't worry. Your brother is still alive. And if you can hand over Naruto next time, I will do my part and hand over Itachi."

"Is that really true?" Sasuke challenged. "He must know things that would be damaging to you and Akatsuki. Are you sure you would let me get the truth from him?"

Madara raised a dismissive hand. "There is only one way you will see him, so there is only one way to find out. I have a meeting to return to, so I suggest you let me take you outside the village before the resident guard dog changes its mind."

He didn't wait for Sasuke to agree or disagree. He simply took hold of Sasuke's arm and pulled him into a spiral in the air.

They were outside the village a second later. Madara let go, and Sasuke took a step backward. He had never traveled via space-time jutsu before.

Madara turned away.

"Wait," Sasuke said suddenly. "I had something else to ask you."

"I've already spent enough time indulging you. I won't save you next time if you come looking for me again."

"There was another Uchiha in Kiri," Sasuke said.

"What?"

"That's why I failed. He appeared out of nowhere, and disappeared with Naruto the same way. It looked like the same power you use, but it was someone our age. Who did you let survive?"

Madara turned back to him. It was impossible to read his face behind the mask, of course, and his posture didn't give anything away either. But he seemed to consider Sasuke for another long moment, and he had no idea why. There was no way the older Uchiha could deny it, not when it was so obviously the same jutsu.

"You're either very confused, or a surprisingly convincing liar. My guess is the former. You saw someone whose ability has a passing resemblance to mine. Not the same thing. There are no others."

"He _was—_ "

"I've wasted enough time here. Remember, get what I want, and you'll get what you want."

The air twisted around Madara, converging on the one opening in his mask.

Sasuke stood on the shore of the great lake separating him from the Rain village. His hair and clothes were heavy with rain and mud, and the cold was setting in. He scowled at the distant skyline in disgust.

"Liar."

* * *

Naruto woke to a cold morning beneath the thick canopy of branches surrounding the jump point. It was still dark. Only the barest line of light could be seen over the stream. Minato was no longer sitting over there.

Naruto could smell smoke, and he craned his head to see Kakashi and Rin sitting in drowsy silence around the revived campfire. Naruto sluggishly raised himself up on his elbows inside the sleeping bag. He considered going back to sleep for another few minutes or hours.

"Good morning," Rin said, seeing him awake. "Minato-sensei went to check the area."

"Good morning," Naruto said, the word distorted by his yawn. Kakashi said nothing. Naruto climbed to his feet and went over to sit with them.

"Has there been anything? New orders?"

"Not that we know of, but it should be soon," Rin said.

"Ugh…" Obito rolled over in his sleeping bag and looked up at them bleary-eyed. "'S morning already?"

"Good morning," Rin said brightly. "It looks like you've gotten used to overnight missions again."

"Huh?" Naruto looked at Obito, puzzled. Obito mumbled an affirmative and busily set about rolling his sleeping bag.

Kakashi poked at the campfire with a stick. "This is the first one he's agreed to go on since he came back from Kumo. Minato-sensei let him skip whatever he wanted. Pathetic," he made sure to add.

"I had to practice my abilities some time, and I didn't want anyone to know about it." Obito beat the sleeping bag into shape until it fit into a stuff sack.

"You practiced at night? When did you sleep, Obito?" Rin frowned.

"I slept enough!" Obito quickly made the bag disappear and then he stood up. "Besides, I didn't have the best control over it when I first got back. I used to wake up halfway sunk into the floor sometimes. It would have freaked everybody out."

"Not if you told us about it in the first place," Kakashi said.

Obito sat down between Rin and Naruto. "What're you grinning about?" he shot at Naruto.

"Nothing. Just, you guys really are a good team, after all."

"Where the hell do you see that?" Obito shrugged with one shoulder and dug into his backpack sitting by the log. "Here. There's no telling how long we'll have to wait." He held out a couple of nutrition bars and Naruto took one.

"We don't have the supplies for an extended mission," Rin murmured to Kakashi after they had all had some of the tough, unappealing bars. Food options in the field had definitely been improved by Naruto's time.

"I've got lots of backup supplies," Obito said quickly. "And I'm sure sensei could—"

"Minato-sensei told me he was expecting a message soon," Kakashi said. "We will be home before our supplies become a problem. We'll probably be home tonight."

He glanced at Naruto, but for once didn't make any jabs at him, verbal or physical. The other two looked at Naruto as well.

"I guess you'll go be going back, then," Obito said.

"Yeah, I guess."

The silence that followed was weird. It was like they had already gotten used to Naruto being there, somehow, or maybe he was imagining it just because he wanted to stay a little longer.

He would have liked to go to the village with them. Maybe seeing the Sandaime again wouldn't be so bad, even if it meant questions he didn't want to answer. But he already promised Minato he'd go back home this time.

Home was not here, even if he halfway wished it was.

"Kakashi," Naruto said suddenly.

"What?"

"Y'know, I think I sort of get it now, why you never told me."

"Told you what?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes at him in suspicion.

"You didn't want me to feel the way you had. Maybe you thought I'd be hurt more if I knew why I was left alone. I still don't like it, but I get it, anyway."

"I really have no idea what you're talking about. Did you fall back asleep sitting up?"

"I guess I'm saying I finally understand you a little bit."

"If you're not going to start making sense, I'm going to ignore you."

Rin looked between them with puzzled interest. Obito kept his focus on Naruto.

Naruto stretched widely and gave another yawn. "Yeah, never mind."

The four sat staring at the fire for a long time. There wasn't much else to do. The camp they'd made was minimal, so there was very little left to clean up. War, Naruto was quickly discovering, was not always as exciting as fighting plant clones or Edo Tensei zombies. It involved a lot more sitting and waiting than he expected.

Naruto's gaze kept drifting back to the jump point, to the boulder near the stream where Minato would appear. But it turned out to be for nothing, because Minato returned to them from the woods.

There was a quiet rustle behind them and they turned to see Minato walk out of the trees, a thoughtful frown on his face. They all looked up at him expectantly.

"I got word from Sandaime-sama," he said, holding up a tiny bird-messenger scroll. "He has been in correspondence with the Tsuchikage about the terms of surrender. The Tsuchikage strongly denies that Iwa intended any sabotage by attacking our team. The fact that it was our team is suspicious—but the Tsuchikage insists it was an accident. Nothing but miscommunication. After all, it was only a few hours after the surrender."

"But what does Sandaime-sama think?" Kakashi asked.

Minato sighed and put the scroll in a pouch strapped to his belt. "He wanted to know what _I_ thought. But I'm not sure what their intentions were, either. Our ambush yesterday felt more like spite than strategy, so that is what I told him. The Sandaime decided not to continue hostilities over the actions of an undisciplined few. They were probably acting on vengeance." He shook his head.

Naruto sat up straighter. He thought Minato seemed very tired, and he wanted to be reassuring or helpful in some way, but could not think of how.

"I don't think Iwa is trustworthy. For all we know, it was the Tsuchikage's idea," Kakashi said disdainfully. "Even if it wasn't, it still reflects badly on them. A pointless grudge could have caused a lot more people to die if the treaty was called off. How can there not be consequences?"

"I didn't say that." Minato pinched the bridge of his nose, allowing some of his weariness to show. "Whether it's true or not, the Tsuchikage is denying any involvement. But the ones who attacked will be listed as missing-nin, since they have not returned to explain themselves or face punishment."

"But that doesn't seem right, does it?" Naruto said. "It should matter if someone told them to do it. Besides, none of us got hurt, so their whole lives shouldn't be messed up for that."

"It isn't ideal, but we needed to make a quick decision," Minato said. "The Tsuchikage had no choice but to distance himself from them if he wanted negotiations to go smoothly. For what it's worth, I don't think he was responsible. If he wanted to make a serious attempt on my life, he would send better assassins."

Obito grinned. "So did Sandaime-sama have anything else to tell you? Maybe something about a big promotion?"

Minato gave him a very strange look. "Actually, yes."

"I knew it!" Obito pumped his fist into the air. Rin gave a surprised 'oh!', and even Kakashi looked interested. "I mean, you're obviously the best choice, seeing how you've practically won the war—"

"What? No." Minato was frowning now. "Someone has recommended you for jounin."

"Uh… huh?" Obito's arm fell down slowly, as if he'd forgotten about it.

" _What?_ " Kakashi said.

"Jounin!" Rin placed her fingertips together.

" _Jounin?_ " Naruto said hoarsely.

* * *

 **Chapter 22, The Sixth Hokage, will post 8/4/18! See you then!**


	22. The Sixth Hokage

**(Posted 8/4/18)**

 **CHAPTER 22 | The Sixth Hokage**

 **Everyone** was looking at Obito. He was still staring disbelievingly at Minato.

" _Who_ recommended me? Why?"

Minato shook his head. "I don't know. All Sandaime-sama said was that someone in the Uchiha clan submitted the form. That means it has a good chance of passing. Any higher-ranking Uchiha will have reputation and influence. You didn't ask anyone to consider it?"

"I—no. No way in hell," Obito said. "Everyone in the clan hates me except for—I guess some of the retired geezers might still have influence, but it has to be someone active, right? Plus, I never heard anything about it."

"We can find out the details when we get home." Minato seemed troubled. "To be honest, your foundational skills still need work to be at that level. Your kamui has the potential to be an _S_ -class jutsu, but that alone would qualify you for tokubetsu jounin, at best."

"Of course," Kakashi said with a shrug. "It's probably a case of miscommunication."

Minato gave Kakashi a look. "Regardless, I will agree with whatever the Sandaime decides."

"Someone might have found out what you can do," Naruto said to Obito. "You were always practicing at home, right?"

"Yeah," Obito said uneasily.

Minato glanced from Obito to Naruto. "In any case, everything with the negotiations is resolved. I managed to tag some of the rogues, so we can track them later. I'm expected back this evening to make my report in person. We still have a lot of work to do."

"Has there been any word about…" Rin started. Minato must have known what she meant, because he shook his head.

"Unfortunately, it does not seem like Kiri will follow Iwa in surrender. They have one less enemy now, too. So, we all have to go home for now." Minato turned his eyes back to Naruto.

"But… I could help somehow, couldn't I? Whatever you guys end up doing. I can help."

"You can't come to the village with us right now," Minato said gently. Naruto was amazed Kakashi didn't interrupt with a protest, but he kept silent. "It would be much safer to visit us with Sandaime-sama's permission, and he has too much on his mind right now. If you really want to go, I promise I will come up with a way. But if you show up the way you did last time, I would not be able to help."

Naruto felt his heart sink until it pooled somewhere near his feet. The corners of his eyes suddenly stung. He knew Minato was probably right, but he wished the soon-to-be Hokage would forget about his duty enough for them be together a little longer.

"I'm sorry." Minato hesitated. "Would you mind coming with me for a few moments? I would like to have a quick word with him, then we can go." He said the last part to the group as a whole.

"Alright," Naruto said.

Minato extended his hand, and Naruto was so used to traveling like this that he took it right away. Then, in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

They arrived on a rocky outcropping that overlooked a valley full of trees below. They were still in the Fire Country, he was pretty sure of that, but he didn't know exactly where. There were no signs of people from where he could see.

"This is along a route I take to go southwest," Minato explained. "It's nearly at the edge of my range from where we were."

"Range?"

"Of course. I can't go halfway across the world in one jump. Maybe Obito can, though, if he can leave the world entirely. And he isn't restricted to landing at markers." Minato shook his head in disbelief.

"He needs one to find my world. Besides that, he just has to know where he's going, I think."

"I look forward to learning more about it. But that's not why I brought you here. I thought you might want to show me how you use the Rasengan."

Naruto brightened up immediately. "Yeah!"

Five seconds later, he had a clone working on molding the energy in his hand. He could form the basic Rasengan very quickly now. He smashed it into a nearby tree with a loud, excited whoop.

"Oops, sorry," he said when the tree cracked loudly and fell backward. He felt the slightest bit bad for it, having sort of been a tree once.

"That's alright, that's why we came here," Minato said. He was openly laughing now. "I should have known. You may look more like me, but you are so much like Kushina."

Naruto turned beet red, but he felt happier than he had almost ever been. It was right up there with the day he graduated from the Academy.

"Let me show you what I've been trying to do with the Wind energy. Maybe you can help me," he said eagerly. He summoned another clone.

Minato was still laughing. "Alright, just really quickly. The others are waiting for us."

Naruto took a deep breath and gathered all the concentration he'd learned to muster during his time training with Sage Mode.

"The last time I tried it, I only used one clone. So I'm gonna try two this time," he muttered to himself. What would be the best way to split up the work? Have two of them keeping the shape together? Have one clone incorporate the Wind energy? Wait, was that even possible for a clone to do?

"Let me try it," one of his clones said eagerly, and the other one shot the first one a dirty look.

"Ok, fine. Let's just get on with it," Naruto said. None of them noticed Minato walking around, watching them curiously.

Naruto held out his hand and inhaled, settling his focus. The other two stood on either side of him, their hands poised over his. He couldn't remember which one had volunteered to handle the Wind energy, but he went ahead and started forming the normal Rasengan.

The one on the right wound the energy tightly. The one on the left waited for the right time, a signal that didn't have to be spoken, because they could all feel it.

Gradually, the Rasengan started glowing white. Naruto's heart thudded, but he tried not to let excitement overtake him. He held on to his focus, and he and the clone on the right concentrated on forcing the swirling white energy into a straight line in the center. It became a thick wide band, then grew ever thinner and sharper. The high-pitched metallic sound had started.

It was noticeably easier to balance the ratio with the second clone to help, but each piece was individually hard to handle, as if the different energies didn't want to mix with each other. Their faces were turning red with the effort. Was this normal? Was it just a matter of having the strength to keep everything pushed together?

"Naruto, stop," Minato said.

Naruto blinked, and his focus wobbled, and he just started to feel the sphere unbalance when Minato clasped a hand over his wrist.

Less than a second later, he and Minato were standing several meters away, and two very surprised-looking clones lost control over the energy and ended up shredded. They disappeared into puffs of smoke.

"Hey! Why did you—"

"Look." Minato was still holding onto his wrist. He turned Naruto's hand over. His palm was covered in dozens of tiny lacerations that only now started to ooze blood. A few seconds later, Naruto started to feel the pain.

"You can't force it. You need to practice more with your element. It has to become a part of you."

Minato took a roll of bandages from the pouch on his belt and started to wrap Naruto's hand. Naruto watched him work, bitterness stinging the back of his throat.

"The older me said this would happen if I didn't go into Sage Mode first," he said. "But I can only make one clone in the Mode so far, so I thought I'd give it a try with two outside of it, anyway."

Minato's motions slowed. "And you're able to use Sage Mode?"

"Yeah, but it's the same thing. I can't do it perfectly, either. The older me can do all these things that I can't do. I mean, I get that he's older, but it's only by four years. I've already improved a lot. I'm ready _now._ I don't know why I can't do it."

"You're only thirteen years old. It's amazing that you can do this much." But then Minato gave a rueful smile. "That's not what you want to hear, is it?"

"I'm not trying to be greedy or anything. I just—it's different when I _know_ what I should be able to do."

"Then maybe you should stop making comparisons. Let go of that image of yourself." Minato ignored the face Naruto made. "Having self-faith is good, but it's no longer possible for your life to be exactly like his. If you're patient, learning these things earlier might eventually give you something better." Minato tied the bandage and let go of Naruto's hand.

"Maybe," Naruto said reluctantly. "I can do some things with Sage Mode my older self never told me about. But nothing that's really amazing yet. It's like my ability is growing out instead of up, and I want it to go up."

"There's something to be said for completely mastering the basics before you go up to the next level. It will help you in the long run. After all, you're already way ahead of me."

"How?" Naruto asked, startled.

"I can't use Sage Mode at all. Maybe that is the missing link for mastering the—what did you call it yesterday?—the Rasen-Shuriken." Minato smiled. "I would come up with a more interesting name for it, but whoever does it first gets the honor. For that, I'm still betting on you."

A warm grin grew on Naruto's face. "Then I guess you still have a long way to go, too."

"That will be true no matter how much time passes. But here, we need to be getting back." Minato bent to pull out one of his daggers embedded in the ground. It was the one he'd used to move them away from Naruto's clones. He wiped the little bit of dirt from the knife and then held the grip out toward Naruto.

"I want you to hold on to this. Take it back with you," Minato said as Naruto accepted it.

"Do you think you could jump into my world if I take it back?" Naruto asked, studying the kunai with awe.

"No. I can't sense Obito when he goes into his own dimension, and it is directly tied to this one, according to him. But I could reach you if you come back here. Just throw it down into the ground or in a tree if you need me. I can be your secret weapon."

"Ok." Naruto put the knife in the same pocket as his other kunai. It stuck out a bit from the others, but he'd find a better way to keep it on him later.

That was it. Minato held out his hand again, and they went back to the others.

Kakashi seemed to have given up on trying to convince Minato to take Naruto back to Konoha. He still didn't say anything when Obito moved beside Naruto, though he continued watching, unnerving with two coal eyes that never seemed to blink.

"Minato-sensei," Obito said suddenly after he took hold of Naruto's arm. "Just so you know, taking Naruto back to his world is not like passing through my kamui. Sometimes I have to rest a little while after I jump that far. Are you guys gonna wait here, or do you want me to meet you at the village?"

"How long of a rest?" Minato asked slowly. Naruto cast Obito a confused look, but Obito didn't even twitch.

"Ten hours at the most, I guess. I just need to sleep it off if I run out of power, but hopefully I won't. Sometimes a good meal is enough to get me back."

Minato looked from Obito to Naruto. "But we have to leave. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Naruto's heart leapt at the thought of Minato coming along to his world, but Obito shook his head. "Adding another person will make it even more tiring."

"I can give you more chakra," Naruto blurted without thinking. "Er—well, I don't know how to do it, but I _can_ do it, in the future anyway—"

"What are you talking about? If you can't do it, then you can't do it. Idiot." Obito shook his head again. "Let's just go. I'll meet you guys back at the village."

"You _will_ be able to come back, won't you?" Rin asked.

Obito scoffed. "Of course. I've done this before, after all. I just didn't want you guys to worry if it took me a while."

Before anybody could say anything else, Obito gave them a brief smile, then dragged them both into the kamui dimension.

"Welcome back," Kabuto greeted with his usual chipper tone when they made it into kamui.

"Hey, Kabuto," Naruto said with half a wave, distracted. "What the heck was that about, Obito? You should be able to make it my world and back easy. You've done it plenty of times before. Does Orochimaru make a bad anchor or something?"

"Yeah, he does actually, but only because I have to keep from landing where he is. It's a pain. But that's not the point." Obito shook his head. "I don't want to go back home right away, so I needed an excuse to be late."

"Why?"

"What were you and Minato-sensei talking about? Last night, I mean," Obito said. "Or hell, even a moment ago."

Naruto's face slowly lifted with a smile. "He already had it figured out. He's going to find a way for me to meet my mom, too."

"Really?" Kabuto said excitedly, bouncing a bit on his feet. "So he's invited you to come back sometime!"

"You should go with us next time, too," Naruto said, catching Kabuto's enthusiasm. "You said you wanted to live in Obito's world someday, right? You could visit it, even if you don't want to move there yet."

Obito nodded. "So you told him about everything? Because you know, I owe him an explanation too. We gotta make sure our stories match."

"I… think so. I didn't tell him about Ero-sennin, so I guess it would be good to tell him about that before he talks to the younger one. I got distracted and kinda forgot about that. I learned a bunch of stuff, too." He paused. "My mom is the Kyuubi jinchuuriki in your time."

Obito's eyes widened and he dropped his crossed arms. "What the… Kushina-san? So when she died…"

"Yeah. I was surprised, too." Naruto scratched his head. "Kurama said that his attack on the village was set up by someone—someone was using him. He didn't want to talk about it, but it might actually be linked to the Uchiha Massacre somehow. So I'll keep asking about it. Maybe we can keep my parents _and_ the Uchiha clan from getting killed."

"Kurama—do you mean the Kyuubi?" Kabuto asked curiously.

"Oh, yeah. The bijuu all have their own names," Naruto explained to him. "But there are a lot of things he doesn't like to talk about. I guess it makes sense in this case, but I wish we knew so we could warn my dad. He knows about it now, though. So with all of us looking out, we stand a pretty good chance."

He turned back at Obito, who was still staring at him, looking stunned.

"Other than that, we talked about Kakashi and Rin and a lot of other things. So why were you wanting to be late? Are we going somewhere?"

Obito ran a hand through his spiky hair distractedly. He glanced beyond Kabuto's tent. Naruto followed his gaze, but didn't see anything except the endless square concrete pillars that rose and fell into the distance within the kamui dimension.

"Obito?"

"Yeah, we are," Obito said, slowly turning his attention back to Naruto. "Jiraiya-sama thinks we're in my time, and Minato-sensei thinks we're in yours, so right now is the perfect chance for us to visit somewhere neither of them would like."

"Somewhere else—the only other choice is the future, right?"

Obito nodded.

"I thought you said—"

"It's the last thing I want to do, but I have to find out exactly when Rin gets captured by Kirigakure and everything else about it. If we go to your time's Kakashi, we'll have to explain everything over again first. I don't think it's supposed to happen for a while, but we don't know that for sure. It could be the very next mission for all we know."

"Kakashi-sensei would have said if it was that soon."

"Yeah, but _we don't know._ Things worked out this time, but it came really close to being a disaster, even with Jiraiya-sama's help. We have to be better prepared next time."

"I think you're right," Naruto said. "But I still want to tell Kakashi-sensei in my time about everything. I think he has a right to know now that I've found out so much about him."

Obito sighed as if the mere thought of meeting another Kakashi was painful. "Sure, but we can worry about it later. For right now, it'll be quicker to go to someone who already knows the situation."

"It's risky," Kabuto said doubtfully.

"Yeah. Orochimaru isn't there anymore, but I still don't want anyone else to know we're there. That'll minimize the risk."

"Are you gonna be able to find old-Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

Obito's gaze trailed beyond the small camp once again. This time, Naruto noticed that there was a blackened, scorched streak on the dimension's surface nearby. Remnants from when the older Obito and Kakashi had fought inside the dimension.

"I'm not sure, but I think I might be able to," Obito said. "I don't need any kind of anchor to reach the future timeline. But back when the three of us were there in the future, I was able to jump to where my future self was, so I think I should be able to find Kakashi, too."

"If not, then I can use my Sage Mode to find him," Naruto offered.

Obito nodded cautiously. "We just need to stay low as much as possible. I'll try going to Konoha first, but for all we know it's not there anymore after the war."

"I think it's still there. It should be," Kabuto said, looking worried.

"Yeah, _should_ be. That's the thing: we don't know anything about the future except that Orochimaru made it out of the war alive, and my older self didn't."

"I was told that Naruto-nii lived, because I asked," Kabuto said. "I didn't know anyone else to ask about, though."

Naruto never doubted that his older self would make it through the war. But he remembered the last time he'd seen Kakashi in the future. The future version of his sensei hadn't been in good shape. He couldn't stand on his own after losing too much chakra and blood fighting against Obito's older self. Naruto and the younger Obito had had to carry him on their shoulders through the multiple dimension jumps they had to take.

"We'll just have to find out." Naruto said, hitting his palm with a fist. "If there's anything else in the future we need to watch out for, at least we'll know."

"Yeah." Obito gave another short nod. "Alright, let's go."

Back then, leaving the future timeline while the war continued was a hard choice. It wasn't just that they'd miss out on how it ended. For Naruto, at least, it meant leaving new and old friends in danger.

But even though the timing hadn't been great, it was the best choice. The only thing they regretted now was leaving Kabuto behind.

So whatever had happened, whatever the future held, they would be strong enough to walk forward and face it.

* * *

Of all the scenarios for Konoha's post-war future, neither Naruto or Obito, in their wildest imaginings, had envisioned _this_.

They landed in the office of the Hokage. The first thing Naruto noticed was sunlight on the roofs outside the panoramic windows, their style and arrangement very different from home.

He knew why. He had seen the crater the village became before everyone rebuilt it. He was about to point it out to Obito when someone spoke behind them.

"…I suppose this is what I get for thinking today would be quiet."

Brightening in recognition, Naruto spun around, but he and Obito both froze at the sight of the man at the door.

It was definitely Kakashi, but nothing about his appearance made sense. He was dressed in the long white robes of a Kage, complete with the angled hat with the Fire kanji printed on it. Underneath it, both of his eyes were showing, and they were both the same dark gray. The left one was still scarred, but it was no longer red.

Noticing their stares, Kakashi smiled with his eyes and closed the door behind him. He walked over to the desk and rested the hat down on top of it. Then he sat down, watching them seriously.

"What's happened?"

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto began, voice quickly rising in pitch, "what is going on—why—your eye— _what_ —"

" _No way_ ," Obito interrupted, sounding more furious than amazed. He pointed at Kakashi and spoke to Naruto. "Here is something to watch out for already! The apocalypse doesn't even begin to explain this. Where is the older you? No, I know. It's genjutsu, right?" He activated his Sharingan without warning and turned it on Kakashi.

"There is a limit to being rude, you know," Kakashi said. "I _am_ the Hokage. And I think the most pressing issue right now is the appearance of time travelers in my office. If something cataclysmic is about to happen, please let me know. I don't like too many surprises when it comes to inter-dimensional doom."

"I brought us here," Obito said aggressively. "I wanted to find out more about Rin's capture, since you didn't explain it much last time. How the hell did you become Hokage instead of Naruto?"

Kakashi raised a brow. "I see you two are still friends. It makes sense to me that you were able to come back here, Obito, but I'm a little bit confused as to how the younger Naruto is here, too."

"Where is Baa-chan? The older me?" Naruto asked. He wasn't quite as angry about it as Obito—not _quite_ —but it didn't make sense to him, either. He had been so sure that Tsunade would be there until it was time for him to take over.

"Your older self is on a mission right now with a different team," Kakashi said. "Thank goodness for that. I really would get a headache if he sensed you were here. As to your actual question, Tsunade-sama appointed me. She's fine, just retired. You know being Hokage wasn't always her favorite job."

"The same could be said for you," Naruto pointed out. "Why didn't she give the job to someone who _really wanted_ it?" the pout in his tone was unmistakable.

Kakashi gave a sigh. "The other you is only seventeen. Having a lot of power isn't the only requirement for becoming Hokage."

"But Gaara—"

"I can't believe I'm having the exact same conversation again with a different version of you." Kakashi massaged his forehead before lowering his hand. "Your older self has accepted it. Can we leave it at that?"

"Did we get here at a bad time?" Naruto asked, suddenly serious. He expected the _youngest_ Kakashi to be brusque, but the future version had always been patient and warm toward him, even more than the one in his own time. Something was wrong.

Kakashi tilted his head thoughtfully. It was strange how much more he resembled his younger self with two normal eyes. But how was that possible?

"A bad time? Not exactly," he said. "Things are relatively calm right now, aside from the massive cleanup left to do after the war. But you two coming back here does make things more… complicated."

"How so?" Obito asked suspiciously.

All of them froze when a knock came from the door.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto turned around, his face lighting up with recognition. "Sai!"

He turned to trot toward the door, but in that moment he felt an arm wrap around his chest and pull him back. The next thing he knew, the three of them were stuffed into a closet full of long robes. Kakashi's _shunshin no jutsu_ was not as fast as Minato's Hiraishin, but it was fast enough.

"What—"

"Shh!" Kakashi interrupted. He plopped his hand down on top of Obito's head and pushed it around in a circle. "Oi, hurry up and get us out of here, Chibito."

Naruto couldn't see Obito's scowl from where he was standing, but he could practically feel the irritation radiating from him. But then they heard the office door open.

A second later, they left the office and appeared in the kamui dimension. They fell apart from each other in the sudden expansion of space.

Obito was the quickest to recover. "What the hell did you call me? You can't look down on me just because you're—"

"What? It's a nickname to keep you separate from the Obito I know. Naruto did the same thing when he was in my time."

"I know three of _you_ now," Naruto countered. "How am I supposed to keep that from getting confusing? Maybe I should number them all. Let's see… the one I know can be one, you can be two, and the kid you can be number three. Or maybe I should go in age order? Then you can be Kakathree."

"The kid me?" Kakashi seemed to frown, though as usual, it was harder to tell with the face mask he wore. "You've met… you've been to Obito's timeline?"

"What is going on?" Kabuto entered the conversation, pushing back the flap on his tent to look. Kakashi gave him a very confused look. "Oh. You decided to bring him here to talk."

Kakashi looked around at the settlement they'd built. "I did have a meeting, but I am definitely skipping it for this."

* * *

 **'The Nights' by Avicii came on while I was editing this chapter and next thing you know I'm bawling over Minato like it's the 00's all over again;;**

 **Speaking of music, I've moved all my fanfiction playlists to Spotify (user blaizekit3) and updated them. Playlists are a fun procrastination tool. :D**

 **Chapter 23: Three Modes of Time will post 8/18/18. See you then!**


	23. Three Modes of Time

**(posted 8/18/18)**

 **I try not to overexplain myself in the A/N, but... don't be too harsh with me on this one. It's pretty much an exposition chapter. Sorry about that, but getting the last bit of setup in more elegantly would have taken a lot more page room and work.**

 **CHAPTER 23 | Three Modes of Time**

" **What—"** Kakashi started to ask.

"It'd take too long to explain everything," Obito said impatiently. "But I can go to Naruto's time, and yours, and mine, and take whoever I want along with me."

"I'm not surprised." Kakashi stepped back, continuing to look around at all the things inside the dimension. "Your older self figured out how to do something like that. He was even able to bring himself back briefly from the Pure World."

" _What?_ " both Naruto and Obito said at the same time.

"That's actually why it makes me so nervous to see you two show up again. Between Orochimaru's experiments and another enemy we faced during the war, the study of dimensional travel is all but forbidden. Which, of course, makes it very valuable to anyone indifferent to the law."

"Another enemy? Who?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi glanced down at him. "We think Orochimaru might be dead—or at least, he's made it look that way. All of his labs and research have been destroyed, and even our Naruto can't sense him. But there will always be people eager to discover the things he discovered. I was afraid someone else might have brought you back again. It would be the same mess all over."

The three boys exchanged a look. Kabuto's brows scrunched worriedly. Obito shrugged. Naruto nodded.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said. "Orochimaru is in my world now. He conned us into taking him there a couple weeks ago. He swallowed up his younger self and is going around pretending to be him."

Kakashi took a step back, eyes widening. For some reason, he looked more shocked about this than seeing them show up at his office.

"What did Orochimaru tell you?" he asked sharply.

"It's a long story, sort of, but…" Naruto looked at Obito. "I got stuck in Obito's time when he took me there, because I was the only link to my dimension he knew about. So we went to Orochimaru because he might know what to do. I didn't _want_ to ask him," he added with a scowl.

"That explains a lot," Kakashi said. "To think he actually found a way out, and used you two to do it."

"What did Orochimaru do? We thought it was suspicious he was running away from his world," Obito said. "He just said there was nothing left for him there anymore."

"Obito…" Kakashi started slowly, as if weighing his words. "That is a long story, too. But you shouldn't have trusted him, not even a little. He went after your eye."

"He—what?"

"The one that used to be here." Kakashi tapped beside his left eye. "It's no surprise Orochimaru found a way to leave the world. After reviving the entire Uchiha clan and using them as his own personal army, he was considered one of the top causes of the war, along with your older self and Madara. Not to mention the incident with the Time-Spanning Incarnation. By the time he disappeared, Orochimaru was wanted by all Five Great lands. But that wasn't the extent of it."

"What else?" Naruto narrowed his eyes. He'd never trusted Orochimaru to begin with, but he had a bad feeling about what they hadn't been told.

"Our understanding of dimensional jutsu has grown in unexpected ways." Kakashi hesitated. "The fact that he needed you to take him from our world is a big hint that what he tried to do didn't work. But I'm afraid it could also mean… Obito, did he say anything to you about your abilities?"

"He said I needed the Mangekyou in order to reach my full potential." Obito crossed his arms with a look of disgust. "But I'm not so desperate for power that I want to try and get it."

"The powers of the Uchiha have always been fascinating to him," Kakashi said quietly, raising one hand to cover his scarred eye. "He's always wanted that power for himself, but the reasons and methods for obtaining it have completely changed over time."

"What happened to your—Obito's eye, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked again.

"We were fighting against Madara—the real one," Kakashi said after another pause. "It was very chaotic for a while. It would be hard to explain without telling the whole story. The main point is that _our_ Obito turned against Madara. Madara stole my eye so he could get into the kamui dimension and go after him."

"Madara was here?" Obito looked around, almost as if he expected the old Uchiha to be lurking nearby.

"This is the same kamui dimension, isn't it?" Kakashi asked him.

"Yeah. It took some time to figure out, but that's how I was able to get back into the future without any trouble."

"That explains it." Kakashi nodded.

"But—" Naruto started.

"Anyway, a lot of stuff happened after that," Kakashi said, waving his hand lightly. "Orochimaru disappeared after the Edo-Uchiha were dispelled and you went home. But he came back out of nowhere while we were fighting against Madara. He took the eye for himself and immediately left."

"He _took_ it?" Obito looked a cross between disgusted and horrified.

"At first, we all thought Orochimaru was there to help us fight Madara, since they were chasing the same thing. But after taking the eye, he left the battle, and no one has seen him since. It put a small snag in Madara's plans, but it ultimately didn't matter. All the Edo Tensei-Hokage stayed around for a while to help afterward, but no one could find Orochimaru."

Obito and Naruto looked at Kabuto, who was still standing in the doorway to the tent.

"I—I didn't know! I remember we were at a base, but I didn't know anything about what was going on outside. Orochimaru-sama didn't say anything about returning to the war." Kabuto sounded anxious.

"Since Orochimaru killed both the former Kazekage and the Wind Daimyo, the other countries' nobility were terrified when we lost track of him. A lot of royal money was poured into the effort, but it seems he finally found a way to escape where no mercenary could go."

"But why would he take Obito's eye?" Naruto demanded. "If he could use that to cross dimensions, he wouldn't have needed us. And he never acted like he wanted to steal this Obito's eyes." He motioned toward the younger Obito.

"I don't know," Kakashi said quietly. He was looking at Obito, brow furrowed. "He obviously already had Obito's genetic data, so he didn't need it for that. And it's hard to imagine him using the eye himself. What would be the point? That eye leads to nowhere but here. Unless his initial plan was to come here and ambush the younger Obito."

"But he hasn't done anything like that!" Naruto crossed his arms. "When we made it back to my time, Obito was wiped out. We had to stay at Orochimaru's base overnight because he didn't have enough energy to use kamui. That would have been the perfect chance, but Orochimaru didn't do anything."

Obito looked down. "So if the 'potential' Orochimaru is interested in is the Mangekyou, maybe I'm not the one he's after. If he took your eye, the me in Naruto's time has the one that matches it."

"…Maybe. What you've experienced is still unique. I've been thinking a lot about what it means. There is a difference between traveling through time versus space—"

"No, not again," Naruto groaned, clutching the sides of his head.

"Let him say it, I want to know," Kabuto said.

"I don't get it either," Obito admitted grudgingly. "I just do it. I'm not completely sure how."

Kakashi gave an amused huff. "We usually think of dimensional jutsu as moving into a different space, right? Kamui, or the pocket dimensions storage scrolls use, or places that only appear in seals or sealing items. But when you think about it, they're still contained within the same whole. The Pure World itself might even be attached to one reality, since there are people who are dead in my timeline but alive in yours."

"So, that's why you thought my kamui wouldn't get us back to our own times?" Obito said.

Kakashi nodded. "Every other space-time jutsu I have heard of moves within the same reality. There was some line Orochimaru crossed with the Time-Spanning Incarnation. Maybe. I think under normal circumstances, it just doesn't happen."

"That's why kid-Kakashi didn't believe us, either," Naruto said. "He said basically the same thing, that other places don't exist. But how do you know that's really true?"

"I don't. By now, I've seen plenty of things that defy understanding." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Aa, you really met the younger me, didn't you? Sorry for anything my idiot younger self said or did. But," his gaze grew serious, "I hope you realize how dangerous this territory is. Technically, I'm not your Hokage or your teacher or your team leader, so I can't order you to stop..."

Obito gave a snort.

"But all this—genuine time travel—it's something no one really understands. Obito, I honestly don't think you should have been capable of it, even if you'd had the Mangekyou. Madara's plans, at least, would have been different if you could always do that. I think what Orochimaru did, opening up other worlds, and you awakening your powers far from home, gave you an ability you never should have had. This goes beyond just a technique. The structure of the world has changed."

Obito looked uneasy. "Do you think Orochimaru wants me to gain the Mangekyou so he could take my eyes?"

"If he wanted that, he'd have gone to your world, right?" Naruto said.

"Hm. But Chibito doesn't have the Mangekyou yet, and two people in Naruto's timeline do, so maybe it's a matter of expediency," Kakashi said.

"Don't call me that," Obito said flatly. "And they can't do what I can. Isn't that what you were saying? So what would be the point?"

"We knew he was up to something, but I thought he just wanted to run away from his time." Naruto scowled.

"That's a fair point. Maybe what he wants most is the freedom to work without the villages coming after him," Kakashi said. "Maybe his interest in kamui is completely academic. But I would not count on it."

"I didn't come here to talk about Orochimaru," Obito grumbled. "If he wants to go after the older me, at least that keeps him busy and away from us."

"You can't dismiss it," Kakashi said. "If all other options were eliminated, using you wouldn't be out of the question. The conditions for awakening the Mangekyou can be fabricated. It happened to you in my time."

Obito stilled. "The older me—I guess he found out Madara set everything up, and that's why he turned on him?"

"More or less," Kakashi said. "You were his pawn from the moment he recovered you. Parts of your body that had been crushed were replaced by the same plant clone material you three inhabited in my timeline. He also gave you a seal that would ensure that you carried out his will. You were only able to change once I inadvertently destroyed it."

Obito was looking at the scorched patch on the surface of the dimension again, hand curled over his chest.

"He was controlling him?" Naruto's voice rose in anger. "That asshole Madara is just as bad as Orochimaru. Why did he even want to start a war?"

He didn't have sympathy for the things the older Obito had done. And he had seen the younger Obito's capacity for the same path. It wasn't like the older Obito's evil came from nothing.

But he knew how it felt to be marked, to be used as a tool for someone else's plans. To be controlled and spied on. And it pissed him off to think they'd been dealing with the older Obito this whole time without knowing he was the same way.

"Naruto, I'm sorry," Obito said without looking away from the floor. He didn't sound as angry on his own behalf as Naruto did for him. On the contrary, his voice was low, and strangely hollow.

"It wasn't _your_ fault. We won't it let get to that—"

"No." Obito turned his head back toward them part way, enough that half of his face was visible. "It's just… about Minato-sensei and Kushina-san and the Kyuubi. I'm starting to think _I_ was the one who—" his voice dropped out abruptly before the end of the sentence.

There was silence for a moment.

"Eh?"

Naruto and Obito glanced at Kakashi at the same time. He didn't look surprised. He just sighed.

"You've learned a lot since you left, huh?"

"So… it's true?" Obito said.

Kakashi shook his head. "How did you figure it out?"

"Their deaths and the Uchiha massacre were related. The Sharingan can control bijuu… so it had to be one of us. Kushina-san has the Kyuubi. The older me collects bijuu. It's not that hard to figure out."

Naruto backed away until he bumped into a crate. Then he sat down on it.

 _He_ hadn't figured it out. Not even with Kurama practically telling him that was the case.

"Alright. So now we know. But I brought you here so you could tell me more about the Kiri mission," Obito said, turning to face Kakashi completely. "Naruto, I swear on my life that things will be different this time. But I can understand if you'd rather go home and forget all this. I can deal with the mission on my own."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto said in a monotone. It felt like the air had been knocked out of him, but that didn't mean he was going to let Obito wallow. "I told you before that he's not you. Just shut up already."

"I'll tell you what I know," Kakashi said. "But I'm not sure how the changes you've made will affect things."

He didn't begin right away. He had followed Obito's gaze to the ruins of the fight.

"First of all: have you found out when the mission to the bridge is happening?"

"It just did," Obito said. "We got through it. Jiraiya-sama from Naruto's timeline helped us."

"Jiraiya-sama… _what?_ " Kakashi massaged his forehead. "Just how many people know about your dimensional travel? There is a reason we've made it a forbidden jutsu in my time."

"I don't want people to find out about it, either," Obito said defensively. "Jiraiya-sama and Naruto are on a training journey together, so he had to know."

"I suppose it couldn't be helped," Kakashi said dryly. "But what concerns me most is Madara. I'm not sure what he will do if he doesn't have Obito to use as his pawn."

"I don't understand why Madara doesn't want to fight his own battles," Obito said skeptically, crossing his arms.

"He wants to, but he can't," Kakashi said. "If he leaves his cave, he'll die. He stayed that way until he was satisfied you were ready to carry out his will, and then he allowed himself to die. There's no telling how long he will last if you're not there."

"So you're saying we can't just ignore him until he dies off?"

"Probably not," Kakashi said reluctantly. "He's dangerous, and very patient. I don't advise either of you to go looking for him. Since Minato-sensei knows about the dimension travel, it would be better to explain things to him."

"Okay," Obito said. "I can bring him to you sometime later. But if Madara is stuck in his cave, then I'm more worried about the Kiri mission right now."

"I can't talk about one and not the other," Kakashi said. "Madara manipulated that situation, after all. That's the version of events I know."

"Then what do we do?" Obito sounded strained. "Even if Madara doesn't stick his nose in it this time, Kiri might still pick some Konoha-nin to force the Sanbi on."

"I think… maybe. They could have thought of that themselves, and maybe they still will. They were desperate enough to end the war by then. It could still happen."

"Then we're not in the clear yet. Having the Sanbi released inside Konoha wouldn't be any better for us than the Kyuubi."

Kakashi sighed. "You're right."

"When did it happen in your time? How long do we have left?"

"Less than a year, if it happens the same way," Kakashi said. "It happens October 10."

Naruto sat up, confused, and Kakashi met his eyes with his two inexplicably gray ones.

"There were several reasons Obito enacted his plan to release the Kyuubi on the day you were born," he explained. "One of those was the fact it happened to be the anniversary of that mission."

"Then, if it happens the same as before, we have almost eight months," Obito said, determinedly following through with his thought process.

"But it might be completely different now."

"At least we have a guess." Obito tapped his foot thoughtfully. "How do you think they chose you guys for their plan?"

"We always thought they took the first Konoha team to fall into the trap," Kakashi said. "Assuming Madara wasn't manipulating them too, they probably didn't care who it was. Or they waited for a small, inexperienced team like ours."

"They had to have set it up," Naruto said. "They were gambling with a bijuu. I bet they did whatever they could."

"Right. That would make sense," Kakashi said. "Unfortunately, I don't know for sure. The conspirators were all killed, and if the Mizukage knew—which he probably did—he was more concerned with minimizing the loss on his side. The war ended not long after that."

The Mizukage. Naruto and Obito exchanged a look.

"So, is that how the Mizukage ended up with the Sanbi?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. After it regenerated, Kiri took no more chances. That failed gamble is what made them lose. Power changed hands quickly. Yagura was made both a jinchuuriki and a kage at a very young age."

The older Obito's history was becoming more and more clear. He never forgot who to blame for everything. Not for a moment. But he hadn't known how much Madara was involved, either. Maybe there was a way they could use that.

"Okay," Naruto said. "So basically, Obito and tou-chan just need to find out what Kiri's plans are without them knowing, and they have eight months to do it. Meanwhile, me and Ero-sennin need to track Orochimaru again and find out if he is really after older-Obito's eye."

"You don't have to protect the older me," Obito muttered.

"But if he knows what's really going on, and if we can free him from Madara's control, we might be able to stop Orochimaru and Akatsuki way before the Fourth War."

"You mean, _tell_ him about it?" Obito said skeptically.

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Naruto, I know you have a talent for getting people on your side, but that's a terrible idea. You tried to negotiate with Obito during the war. He nearly killed you several times, even after the seal was broken."

"But he still ended up turning on Madara, right?" Naruto stood up from the crate. "It's fine if he doesn't want to completely join our side. At least he can watch out for Orochimaru, and maybe stop being Madara's pawn."

Kakashi shook his head disbelievingly.

"And we have a one-hundred-percent-real Obito of our own." Naruto clapped a hand on Obito's shoulder. "He'll have to believe us. He already knows something weird happened when I went to the future."

"There is really something wrong with you," Obito said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Kakashi said. "Just talk to Jiraiya-sama and come up with a strategy for countering Orochimaru. If you can come up with a way to bring him back to our timeline, we'll be more than happy to deal with him from there."

"Okay," Naruto said, though it was clear he had no intention of dropping his idea.

"At least now we know what we're doing next," Obito tilted his head toward the small camp. "I'm glad I didn't let Orochimaru get into this place. But if you're going after him, you need to figure out what to do about the seal. It won't do any good if you catch up to him and he controls you again. He could be lying about not being able to do it anymore."

Kabuto had pulled a folding chair into the doorway, and had been watching their discussion silently for a while. He nodded very seriously in agreement when they all looked over.

"I wish there was something I could do to help, but Orochimaru-sama never told me how it works," he said. "All I know is he used the seal to override the contract between you and Nagato-san."

Naruto touched the place on his temple where a kunai strung with a paper tag went into his head. The seal had once been physically there, back when he was living in a plant body that could survive having a knife in its head. The seal's effects followed him into the past, but there was no way the kunai was still there.

"It must be tied to Kurama's seal somehow," Naruto guessed, pressing on his head and scrunching his face. "He said it would break if Kurama's seal broke."

"Again, that could be a total lie."

Naruto dropped his hand. "Yeah."

"Wait, before you go," Kakashi said when Obito reached out to grasp Naruto's arm. "I just want to make something clear. Technically, I shouldn't even be here right now. There won't be much I can do to help, and I don't want _any_ of you coming to my timeline more than necessary."

"We don't need a reminder that you're no use to us, it's kind of a given," Obito said.

"—But if there is anything else you need to know, I'll do what I can. I'm glad I know where Orochimaru went. If you come up with a plan, let me know."

"Sure, I'll leave a message on your desk." Obito grabbed Naruto's forearm and waved at Kakashi with their joined limbs. "Be back in a minute."

* * *

Minato sat on a tree branch over the jump point. The coded message from Hiruzen was open on his lap.

 _By the way, an Uchiha submitted the jounin nomination form for Obito. Won't discuss the details here, but I assume you had a hand in this. Fill me in when you make your report._

Minato rolled the message back up and stored it in a secure scroll. He had just found out from his future son that the Kyuubi would attack the village. Not only that, he thought he'd heard Naruto _almost_ say 'it was an Uchiha'.

But it would be a terrible idea to make conclusions based on so little information, especially when that information came from a world that might have absolutely nothing to do with this one.

There was only one thing he knew for sure: making peace with the Uchiha was more important than ever.

Minato closed his eyes. He had tagged three of the Iwa deserters. They were all moving east. If they kept going, they would eventually reach the Land of Water, where he had very few markers.

If they acted quickly enough, this could be a rare chance to track directly to the heart of the enemy.

Minato jumped down to the ground. Rin and Kakashi immediately got to their feet, giving him expectant looks.

"Let's move on for now," Minato said. "Obito can catch up when he comes back."

His students shared an uneasy look. It wasn't difficult to guess why. They understood even less than he did about Obito's new jutsu.

"Minato-sensei," Rin said hesitantly. "We don't want to leave without Obito again."

Minato blinked in surprise. He looked at Kakashi, expecting an immediate show of scorn, but the young jounin said nothing.

"I know we can't do anything if he's in a completely different dimension," Rin said. "But shouldn't we wait at least a little longer?"

Or not.

"Alright," Minato said, relaxing a bit. "Once he gets back, we can jump closer to the village and still make it home on time."

"Who was that kid, sensei?" Kakashi asked yet again. "Do you really buy that story about other dimensions?"

"Yes." Minato rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I don't fully understand it myself. But I've been to the pocket dimension, for one thing. As for even more dimensions, Obito has one of my Hiraishin marks on him, and I know I didn't put it there. He says he got it from another version of me." He frowned. "The real question is not if they exist, but what that means for everyone."

"Are you going to tell Sandaime-sama about it?" Rin asked.

Minato paused for a long time. The truth was, he didn't know. He hadn't even had enough time to wrap his mind around the concept of meeting his and Kushina's future child.

And if other people knew? It was bad enough some of the Iwa rogues had seen him.

"Obito's abilities will have to be brought to light now that he's being considered for jounin," he said. "It's possible that whoever nominated him has already revealed it. I don't like that they chose to wait until we were away from the village. I would like to know what their motives are."

"Anyone who saw him must think he just moves from place to place like you, right?" Rin said.

"Probably. No one has to know about the other worlds in order to understand Obito's jutsu. I think in the short term, that aspect might be better kept between us." He looked at Kakashi, who surprised him once more by nodding.

"It's okay, Minato-sensei. Just tell us what you want us to believe, and that's all we will know."

* * *

 **Chapter 24, Two Faces, will post September 1. Till then!**


	24. Two Faces

**(posted 9/1/18)**

 **CHAPTER 24 | Two Faces**

 **"Can** you make it back?" Naruto asked once they were back in his timeline and Obito let go of his arm.

Obito didn't look as tired as he did the last time they'd come back from the future, but he was noticeably out of breath. He had done a lot of big jumps over the two days since the Kannabi mission began.

"Yeah, I'm good," Obito wheezed. "I'm just gonna hang out in kamui for a while so I don't have to walk home."

Naruto looked around. They were back on Mount Myoboku. It was approaching noon. So much had happened since they left his timeline, it felt weird being back home.

"Listen," Naruto said in a low voice, "I don't know what we're going to do about Madara, but without you, he's got no choice but to hide out in his cave. He won't have a reason to put Kakashi and Rin in danger if you stay away from him."

"Yeah, I know." Obito was avoiding his gaze.

"And we need to find a way to talk to your older self. When do you think you'll be coming back—"

" _There_ you are!"

The two jumped when Jiraiya landed down near them and straightened up to his full, imposing height.

"You're late!"

"I said I'd bring him back in a day!" Obito said. "It hasn't been twenty-four hours yet."

"That wasn't the agreement. What I understood was you'd bring him home at the _end of the day._ As in, yesterday." Jiriaya waggled his finger at them. "Besides, that should have been plenty of time for the team to make it back home. So? What went wrong this time?"

The two looked at each other. Obito shrugged.

Naruto turned to Jiraiya. "Those guys we fought during the mission came back. It wasn't a problem 'cause tou-chan was back with the team again. But the old man Sandaime wanted them to stick around in case it meant the surrender was going to be called off."

"That's strange. If I remember right, all the negotiations went smoothly after the battle. Maybe that part got left out of the official story. But with Obito not getting 'killed', who knows what might be different?"

"Everything's different," Obito said. "I'm okay with that. We just need to stay one step ahead. It'd be the same if we went in knowing nothing. Just like life."

"That's a surprisingly healthy attitude for someone who grows up with world-ending ambitions." Jiraiya laughed as if he'd made a great joke. "I'm glad the two of you made it back in one piece. What is the plan from here?"

"Go after whoever we can," Naruto said, punching his fist into his palm. "Have you found out anything while we were gone? About Sasuke, or Orochimaru, or the older Obito?"

"Possibly. I think it'll be easier to track the fake Madara now that we know who he really is and how his powers work. Do you think he can do the same thing as you? By going to other times, I mean," he asked Obito. "That would be a real headache to deal with."

Obito shook his head. He was fidgeting with his coat, pulling the zipper up and down along its track.

"He can't do it. My kamui is weird because of Orochimaru. Plus, my older self isn't as powerful as he could be, since he only has one of his original eyes."

"Ah. That would explain the one-eyed mask," Jiraiya said thoughtfully. "That's right. Kakashi has the other eye. I heard about that incident back when it happened—Minato really had to smooth things over with the Uchiha once Kakashi started making a name for himself with that Sharingan. I wonder if it's part of your older self's plan to take it back from Kakashi."

"No, he ends up looking for the real Madara's eyes instead," Naruto said quickly, remembering the ordeal they had to go through to keep Tobi from finding them in the future. "But you know, Ero-sennin, we think Orochimaru might be interested in taking older-Obito's eye."

To his surprise, Jiriaya nodded slowly. "That makes sense on some level. I could tell there was another motive for him to come to this time. Some things never change. But how, may I ask, are you suddenly so sure that's what he's after?"

"It's because we—ah, crap." Naruto smacked his forehead. "I forgot already—we're not in Obito's dimension. Orochimaru is definitely going to find out that we know."

"It was too late for that the moment we went into the future," Obito said. "Jiraiya-sama, we went to talk to the future Kakashi. I just wanted to know what we could do to save Rin. But he told us Orochimaru took the eye the other me gave him. He thinks it might be possible for Orochimaru to get the same abilities as me if he takes the right eye of my older self here."

"But can Orochimaru use it even if he has it? I mean, he's been obsessed with the Sharingan forever," Naruto said. "Maybe he can't use it. If he could, he would have done it already."

"I don't know?" Obito crossed his arms. "But there _has_ to be some reason he took my other self's eye. He could make a bunch more clones of me, or who knows what. I don't like it."

"I see. That is a possibility," Jiraiya said. "But it's just one out of many. We can and should investigate all leads, but jumping to conclusions will get you killed against people like Orochimaru and Akatsuki. It doesn't change what we need to do."

"And what's that?" Naruto asked.

"Whatever we do, we need to find a way to tackle the problems of Orochimaru and Akatsuki separately. It would be a really bad idea to try to face them at the same time again. If they get into a fight with each other, it might help keep them away from us, but that's only good for buying more time."

"And Sasuke… he might be caught up in the middle of it, too," Naruto said. "If we could talk to Itachi again, I could let him know what we found out. Maybe he'd help us get closer to Tobito."

"Don't start that too," Obito shot at him.

"Figuring out how to use Kurama's power is the best way I can think of to fight against Orochimaru," Naruto continued determinedly. "It's the biggest weakness he gets from having a plant body, _and_ I might be able to break his seal that way."

"I think you should train to learn how to use that energy, but we'll have to move forward cautiously," Jiraiya said. He gave a quick glance at Obito. "Besides… if you destroy Orochimaru's tag, wouldn't that mean Obito can't instantly jump to your location anymore?"

Naruto stared at him. "I… forgot about that." He looked at Obito too. "If we get rid of it and make Orochimaru leave this world, you'll be completely cut off, won't you?"

"Yeah, I think so," Obito said with a frown. "I can't get stuck here as long as I have kamui, but I wouldn't be able to come back without an anchor. Unless, maybe…" he shook his head as if to dispel the thought. "Nevermind. Just focus on beating Orochimaru, then we can figure out what to do about his tag later. For now, I'm heading home."

"Why? You said you were just gonna wait around."

"I'm worn out. Just tell me when you think I should come back."

"How about the next time you get a real day off?" Jiraiya suggested. "We're going to be away from the village for a while, so the timing doesn't matter on our end. But the Sandaime will have your team on call until the negotiations are complete, right? So don't shirk your responsibilities to talk to us."

"You're right. Sensei would be mad if we got called and I wasn't there." Some of the tension in Obito's face seemed to soften. He still looked pale from the numerous multi-dimension jumps.

"Listen, Obito," Naruto started. "If nothing else, I want to confront him myself, and I think it'd help if you did too. Especially if it gets in the way of whatever Orochimaru has planned."

"I'm going to be busy figuring out what to do about Kiri. I'll let you know what Minato-sensei says." Obito turned around and held up his hand in a wave. Then the air around him spiraled into a single point, and he disappeared.

"Well, that's that," Jiraiya said. "What is he supposed to tell you about Minato? Has the cat gotten out of the bag?"

"He… tou-chan figured out who I was," Naruto said, still looking at the spot where Obito had disappeared. "But he said he'd find a way to let me visit again without making anyone in the village suspicious. He just doesn't want me to show up on my own again."

"Of course not." Jiraiya shook his head. "Everyone is tense enough with the war going on. He might have been happy to see you, but that doesn't mean he can make too many exceptions. Come on," he motioned for Naruto to follow him. "I've made some breakfast for us. It's just onigiri, but at least it's not anything bug-based."

He started off down the path toward the Great Toad's temple, and Naruto followed him. Even nearing the height of day, he could still hear the occasional frog chirp in the distance.

"So," Jiraiya said as they walked. "If Minato comes up with a scheme to get you back into the village, are you going to do it?"

Naruto trotted to keep up. "Of course I am!"

"Does that come before or after you defeat Orochimaru and save the world?"

"Are you making fun of me?" Naruto scowled. "I'm not saying I can take him all on my own, but I don't have to."

"Nah, it's not that. Don't be so uptight." Jiraiya waved a jaunty hand. Naruto was tempted to make a rude gesture behind his back, but the last time he'd tried that, he'd been crushed under the slimy weight of one of the less friendly toads.

"You know, gaki," Jiraiya said after several more seconds passed. "The fake Madara isn't the only person who wears a mask all the time. I think everybody does, to some extent. The older you get, the more necessary it becomes. You become the you that has to think about responsibilities. About home and duty. Your own health. Family. You put on all kinds of masks for the different roles you play. There's no way to escape that, unless you get stuck living in the past and refuse to face reality."

Naruto looked around through the stalks and giant leaves that lined the path. They occasionally dipped inward far enough that he had to push it aside, sprinkling drops of dew. He knew what Jiraiya was trying to say.

"I know I don't belong in that time," he said after a moment. "I just want to make sure… I want them to still be around if there is another me there someday."

"Ah. Fair enough." Jiraiya smiled back at him and kept walking.

"It was Obito who killed them. My mom and dad," Naruto said.

The clop of Jiraiya's wooden sandals on the stone silenced.

"It's not like I blame him for what his other self does," Naruto said. "I just don't understand it. The one thing Obito always talks about is protecting the people who are important to him. I just don't see how someone like that could do something like that."

Obito, this Obito, had really become his friend. Like Gaara was his friend, and Sakura, Konohamaru, and even Sasuke. The kind of friend he trusted. In two out of the three worlds they knew, Obito had taken everything from him. But somehow, Naruto couldn't bring himself to feel angry. Just sad.

"I don't understand it," he repeated. "It keeps happening. Everyone's different in every time."

"Getting stuck in the past, even if only in your head, changes your priorities in the present. I think you know that," Jiraiya rumbled with a sigh. "It's easy to do. We don't usually get the chance to go back and change things, so we do the next best thing: reject the present. There are endless ways to avoid facing your own pain. Most people lose to themselves before they find a way to do it."

Naruto walked along silently behind him for half a minute more.

"I won't let that happen," he said finally. "I'm not giving in."

"You know something? I believe you."

* * *

When they got to the temple, the Great Elder Toad was snoring away, as usual. The room they had camped in was unchanged since they left. Was it really just yesterday morning?

Naruto stopped and sat down cross-legged beside the pool. He closed his eyes and put his hands together.

"What are you doing?"

"If Orochimaru wants to steal Obito's eye, and if Sasuke went back to him and Kabuto, then finding Orochimaru will be the quickest way for us to get back to them."

"You haven't been able to find him that way before," Jiraiya said. But he sat down on the other side of the pool and waited.

Naruto sat and breathed, waiting for the inevitable clutter of distraction he always had to struggle through before he could feel the ebb and flow of natural energy.

Because there was something else bugging him. Something he felt might be a good idea to say. He drew in a deep breath and focused his thoughts.

' _You tried to tell me, but I wasn't listening,'_ he said silently to Kurama. _'I guess you didn't say it outright 'cause you didn't want me to react with tou-chan sitting there. Or something like that?'_

No response. Naruto knew Kurama could hear him. He just wasn't in the mood to answer right now. Naruto couldn't blame him.

' _Anyway, I'm sorry. And, I guess, thanks for not saying it was Obito right then. You probably weren't trying to help him, but I'm glad I didn't find out while I was still talking to my dad. And I'm sorry for what happened to you, too. You shouldn't have been used like that.'_

There was another stretch of silence. When he still didn't get an answer, Naruto shifted his attention outward.

The Orochimaru that was in this timeline now, unlike his predecessor, had a straight line linking him to wherever Naruto was, at least while they were in the same world. He couldn't trace it just by searching along it—at least, he hadn't been able to yet. The last time he had tried doing that, in the future timeline, the seal had overwhelmed his sense-vision.

Now he was going to try again. Instead of trying to physically grab hold of the invisible line, he used the Mode to feel along it carefully as it arched into the sky, like a blindfolded tightrope walker edging over a cliff.

Other streams of energy swirled through the air around it, but the line remained solid, unswayed by the current.

Trying to follow the line without touching it was very difficult, and it took a lot of concentration. A bead of sweat rolling down Naruto's neck made his attention wobble, and it was hard to find his place again without starting over.

Forcing Sage Mode to move in a straight line rather than flowing along the currents of energy was a lot harder than expected. And slower.

He relaxed and let the sense-sight fall into the current, searching instead for places where the line intersected further ahead, and that was slightly easier.

Then, suddenly, he saw.

He saw Orochimaru's face for just a second. It wasn't like before, when he only saw the yellow, watching eyes.

Orochimaru turned toward him, smiling viciously, and then—something happened. Everything turned into a wash of white, a TV tuned to a dead channel.

There was a jolt, like an electric shock, lighting up his senses. It peaked painfully, then it was gone. He was outside again.

Naruto opened his eyes and felt the Sage energy leave him with a sudden rush of breath.

"Well?" Jiraiya said.

Naruto shook off the feeling of being suddenly forced out. Normally he felt relaxed after doing a search, but this time he was tense. "I saw him. It was hard to tell what was going on. "

"Did you see Sasuke or anyone else?"

"No… I just saw his face. Nothing else was really clear."

Jiraiya gave a skeptical hum and unwrapped a packet of onigiri.

Naruto looked down to his hands, trying to hold on to what he'd seen. He didn't know if it meant anything, but maybe he could learn to refine the technique to see more of what was happening.

"It was worth a try," Jiraiya said, nudging a packet over to him. Naruto suddenly realized how hungry he was and tore into it. "We'll do this systematically, the way we did before. But there's an interesting little detour we need to take first. I promise it won't take long."

"Wha'sat?" Naruto said with his mouth full.

"Our friends in this time's Kiri have come up with a possible strategy against our not-so-friendly Obito."

* * *

Obito flopped backward onto a huge stack of pillows.

"I'm crashing here for a while," he announced. "I've had enough of Kakashi for today."

Kabuto came just into his line of vision, peering down at him through his overlarge glasses. "Won't they be worried?"

"Nah, I told them to go back without me. It's going to be annoying enough when we get back, anyway. May as well relax while I can."

Kabuto tilted his head in a half-shrug and went back to the small table where he had been studying a huge medical textbook for weeks. Somehow, he had the patience to deal with high-level descriptions of jutsu theory, looking up whatever he didn't understand and requesting books he didn't already have.

Missing materials—yet another reason the Sandaime might skin Obito alive if he found out about everything.

Obito stared up at the drab ceiling inside the large canvas tent he'd snatched from the future timeline along with its current occupant. He had to convince Minato to keep the other timelines a secret, even if the compromise to that was letting the Sandaime in on his Sharingan ability.

The Uchiha would find out pretty quickly, which was an annoying thought. Given his nomination, there was a good chance they already knew.

But there was a bigger problem here than just getting scrutinized by the Clan Head.

Minato knew about the Kyuubi attack now, and he had probably already figured out that an Uchiha was responsible. But he didn't know which one.

Which meant Obito would either have to tell the story of his other self, or pin all the blame on the real Madara. Otherwise, Minato's suspicion would fall on the rest of the clan, and no matter how discreet he tried to be about it, they would notice and resent it.

The choice was obvious. They had to bring Madara down one way or another. If the old man was barely alive right now, maybe they stood a chance.

Obito didn't really believe Madara would sit around waiting to die if he never showed up.

It made sense—it was _safer_ to pretend Madara was the only one responsible. There was no reason to complicate things with the truth.

All Obito needed to do was swallow his fear, and push away that sliver of darkness as if it did not belong to him. Bury it deep, deep down, so the ancient Uchiha would never get the chance to pry it out of his heart.

"What are you going to do when you get back home?" Kabuto asked suddenly. "Are you going to bring Minato-sensei back here to talk?"

"Maybe. Then we could be sure no one's listening. Especially no one from the Uchiha. I guess, the main thing for now is to keep anyone from finding out about the other dimensions."

"It'll be okay. Minato-sensei is smart. He'll know what to do about Madara, and how to stop the Uchiha from getting erased. You already know who killed them all, right?"

"It's more complicated than that," Obito said tiredly. "If it's who I think, he's practically a toddler right now. I can't hold that against a little kid. Besides… Naruto said the clan was planning a coup. Somebody else would have wiped them out even if the Head's son didn't. But maybe we can just blame Madara for everything. I don't care what anybody thinks of him."

"But you're an Uchiha. Can't you make sure they won't get themselves in trouble like that?"

Obito snorted. "Yeah, right. No one tells me anything."

"You could change that, though," Kabuto insisted, standing from his chair.

Obito sat up on the pile of pillows to give him a skeptical look. "They don't like me, and I don't like them. That's how it is. I don't want to change it."

"But you could do it if you tried. Your power is really special, even if you keep the part about other timelines a secret. And if you can convince Minato-sensei to leave the Uchiha to you, then you'll be able to do things how you want."

"Ugh." Obito flopped back down dramatically. It was almost jarring, how perceptive Kabuto could be sometimes. "You might be right. Somebody in the clan has recommended me for jounin."

"Really? Do you know who it is?"

"No." Obito crossed his arms. "But Minato-sensei is gonna want someone who can watch the Uchiha without making them mad. I think there has to be someone who can do that better than me. For all I know, there already is. I don't want to get involved in that."

"Maybe not," Kabuto said. "But after the war's over, you'll get to have the rest of your life back. If you end up dying in a few years along with the Uchiha, then…"

His voice wavered. Obito sat up more fully this time. Kabuto was standing with one hand beside his book on the table, half-turned to it like an afterthought.

 _That kid has some abandonment issues._

"Even if they die, I won't," Obito said firmly. "No murderer's going to catch me. If I have to, I can live somewhere else. And there's nothing anyone can do about it."

"But you'll try to save them too, won't you?"

"I guess so. It would be weird not having them around, even if they are a pain in my ass."

"And you'll protect Minato-sensei and Kushina-san, too?"

"Of course," Obito said, though his heartbeat quickened at the mention of them. This was not a turn he wanted the conversation to take. "That'll be the easiest part. Now I know there isn't another enemy to watch out for. We just have to beat Kiri and end the war before Madara has the chance to stick his wrinkly old nose in it."

"What about the Sanbi? Like you said, they might decide to use it on anyone else."

Obito stared up for a long moment.

"Kabuto…"

"Yes?"

"You know how old-man-Kakashi said we could drop Orochimaru off in the future if we managed to get hold of him?"

"Yes. I was listening," Kabuto said uneasily.

"I wonder how big of a thing I could take from my time into that one."

"Are you saying—"

"They can't use what they don't have."

"You want to steal the Sanbi?"

"Why not? It's never too early to start going after world domination."

Kabuto looked up from the book to frown at him disapprovingly.

"I'm _kidding_ ," Obito said, dropping the sarcasm. "I don't want to use it. Nobody should. If we take it to the future, it won't be used on anyone. Rin will still be alive, and Madara will never get whatever it is he wants. It's a dangerous idea, but we wouldn't have to fight against it directly. Just get close enough for me to transport it."

"To do that, you'd have to go behind Minato-sensei, the Sandaime, and everyone else," Kabuto said skeptically. "There won't be support for a mission like that. You know that me and Naruto are the only people willing to help you do something so hopelessly insane."

"Yeah. That's what I'm counting on."

* * *

Home.

Obito lingered behind the others as they approached the great gates that led into Konoha.

Home, country, and family were not things he tended to be sentimental about, but even he had gained a bit of appreciation since his original foray into the future.

He'd had an inkling of that feeling when he first returned and saw how worried they'd been—even Kakashi.

He felt it when he returned to his time and his team was still waiting for him.

He felt it again now, coming back from the mission he wasn't supposed to walk away from. It was exactly what Kabuto had said. _You'll have the rest of your life back after all this._

Minato turned to wait for them at the gate. They were all dragging their feet a little, exhausted from the fighting and the travel.

"Good job, everyone," he said as the four of them passed through. "Even though things didn't go exactly as expected, we accomplished the mission and came back alive. That's something to be proud of…"

Minato's voice faltered and he stopped walking. Obito looked up and blinked.

It looked like half the village had showed up to welcome them home. Regular citizens, shinobi, children, elders—word of Iwa's surrender must have spread to the entire village.

When they stopped, the crowd started to cheer. Obito and Rin exchanged an amazed look. Kakashi crossed his arms, feigning aloofness. Minato scratched the back of his head.

The Sandaime was standing in front of the crowd, watching them from beneath his hat with a smile. He took the pipe out of his mouth.

"Welcome back," Hiruzen said. "As you can see, your recent battle has already caused quite a stir. However, I'm sure you're all very tired and ready for some rest—"

" _You did it, 'ttebane!"_

A woman bumped past the Hokage as if he wasn't there, knocking his hat slightly askew. A streak of red flew at them, and Kushina had her arms wrapped around Minato's neck, kissing him fiercely as if there weren't hundreds of people watching.

Kakashi took a decisive step back away from them. Rin was giggling, and Hiruzen shook his head and adjusted his hat.

The warm feeling in Obito's chest turned into cold ash.

"I'm getting out of here while I still can," he said to Rin. Before she could protest, he turned to slip into a side road. There were a few people standing there too, but they let him pass, clapping and wolf-whistling.

There were too many people in the streets to use kamui, so Obito took the long way home, striding through anonymous backroads, making his way toward the Uchiha district.

* * *

 **Chapter 25, Legacy of the Bloody Mist, will post September 15. See you then!**


	25. Legacy of the Bloody Mist

**(posted 9/15/18)**

 **CHAPTER 25 | Legacy of the Bloody Mist**

 **It** had only been a week and a few days since Naruto had left Kiri, but it felt like much longer. So much had happened, and the time travel had a disorienting effect.

The port they went to was further south than any of the ones Naruto had visited before. It was just past the base where they had clashed with Orochimaru and Sasuke on the cliff. This was a place that had been burned to the ground.

They were there to keep their departure relatively secret. Most of the people were gone. Only a few small boats had returned to a couple of newly rebuilt docks, and according to Jiraiya, they all belonged to Water.

"Why did Kisame and those other guys do this?" Naruto asked as they walked down the lonely beach toward the far dock. "Why would the older Obito use them to fight against himself?"

"Fighting Yagura wasn't his goal. It was just a way to get people on his side and cause chaos. He probably fed them something about Akatsuki hunting all jinchuuriki, and they agreed because Yagura was one. Pretending they had common goals. But hopefully the investigation will have found out something about that."

"They were looking for another jinchuuriki at the time, right? The one Ao-jii and the others told me about," Naruto said. "If he's still missing, do you think Akatsuki got him?"

"I have no idea, kid."

"When we take down Obito's older self, we should go tell all the other jinchuuriki about Akatsuki's plans. Warn them."

"The other Hidden Villages have all been warned by now, thanks to Tsunade. But that doesn't mean all the jinchuuriki know. It's definitely the kind of thing you need to be careful with. There is a lot of politics behind what jinchuuriki are allowed to know or do."

"Yeah, I've noticed that." Naruto scowled. "I don't care. They have a right to know that Akatsuki is going to come after them. I don't even know if stopping the fake Madara is going to stop that."

"Me either. We don't know how much of that was his idea. Okay, this one's our ride."

Naruto looked up. They had come to a small boat, not unlike the one Konoha had sent after him before. Someone was walking down the gangplank. Naruto shaded his eyes against the sun with one hand.

"Ao-jii!"

Ao was looking down at them with his usual severe expression, a deep crease between his brows, but Naruto was too relieved to be discouraged. He stepped onto the dock and trotted up the gangplank.

"I'm glad to see you're alright! You were still knocked out in the hospital when we left. Lava-Lady was really worried."

Ao glanced from one end of the beach to the other before relaxing slightly. "Good. The two of you were not followed."

"How has everything been going with the village after that attack—?"

"We should be on our way," Ao cut in, beckoning. "It's not safe to linger here, even now."

Naruto looked back over at his shoulder at Jiraiya, who nodded and followed Naruto up to the boat, his wooden geta clopping loudly on the gangplank and boat deck.

Then they went below, and Naruto felt the boat move.

"We're leaving already?"

"The sooner we can get to protected waters, the better."

Naruto didn't see anyone in the cabin they entered below, though there must have been _someone_ else on board, for the boat to be moving. They must have been waiting, ready to go at any moment.

Sea charts were pinned to the cabin walls. Naruto couldn't make any sense of them. There were a few chairs around a small square table. A door on the far side led further in, but Ao sat down on one of the chairs and motioned for them to do the same.

"I can't believe you came out all this way to meet us, Ao-jii," Naruto started again. "What's been going on in Kiri since we left? Is everybody okay after the attack?"

"In my day, we made it through much worse attacks and got up the next day to go about our business," Ao said stiffly. "But yes, we are all fine. Because the rebels lost the element of surprise early on, most of the civilians were already evacuated by the time they started lighting fires."

"Tell us about Madara. What is this plan Mei-sama mentioned, and why tell us about it?" Jiraiya asked.

Ao crossed his arms. "I am not authorized to say. Mei-sama wishes to explain it personally. As for why she contacted you, it is because Tsunade-sama volunteered you to be part of the operation."

Naruto raised a brow at Jiraiya, who cleared his throat and nodded. "Ah. Have you found something out from the rebels you captured?"

Ao made a disapproving sound. "In exchange for re-entry into the village, the ones we captured had no trouble selling out the masked man who hired them to hunt the Six and Three-tails jinchuuriki. Many of them were unfairly exiled or fled under Yagura, and desperate to receive amnesty. But collectively, they still don't know much about his motivations."

Naruto stood from his chair. "What about Utakata? Did they ever find him? Do you know where he is?"

"We do not know, and neither do the rebels," Ao said. "He has managed to evade Yagura and Madara's forces so far. If only we had known sooner it was a pretext to help Akatsuki further their goals." He looked up at Naruto leaning over the table. "Perhaps it goes without saying, but the rebels confirmed they were also searching for _you_ during that attack. To make matters worse, Madara had manipulated them into believing Yagura was still alive, so they could attack the village center without reservations."

"But they probably… didn't really want to hurt Kiri, right?"

"It was an eclectic group. Some of them certainly had no attachment to the village. But some may have been lied to, manipulated, even forcibly coerced in order to attack. Especially those who simply wanted Yagura gone."

The burning anger Naruto felt toward the false Madara welled up. How many had been exiled unfairly by Yagura, only to be led to attack the place they wanted to protect? It was the same pattern. Any time Tobi met with resistance to his view of the world and people, he just glossed over it with force to make things look the way he expected.

The younger Obito was not like that. He listened, even when he was angry, even when he was contradicted. There had to be a way to show the older version that what he was doing was wrong. Or at least own up to his crimes.

"By the way," Ao continued, "I could not be sure because I was nearly unconscious, but it seemed like someone was following you there at the end. They tell me you arrived back at the beach with everyone else unharmed. That is fortunate, but how did you escape?"

"I—Kisame left," Naruto said. "He never seemed to be really trying to get me. And Sasuke. They just… came here and disappeared. But I don't know if they were really working together."

"That seems obvious, does it not?" Ao said. "Why else would they attack the village at the same time?"

"I don't know. But Sasuke wouldn't be working with Akatsuki. If anything, he was chasing me," Naruto said firmly.

Ao raised a brow. "Which is exactly what Akatsuki was doing. Has he not been missing from Konoha for many months already? His older brother is a known member of Akatsuki. On what basis do you claim he isn't working with them?"

"We were on a team. I know him better than that. Besides, when he showed up, he _told_ me he was trying to get me out of the way before Akatsuki could reach me. He was probably there because he found out they were going to attack. He wasn't there to do anything to the village. I'm the one he's after."

Ao gave a skeptical frown, but continued on. "From what we've learned, there were incidents along the coast days before the attack. It seems Orochimaru's forces followed and antagonized Madara's group repeatedly, interfering with their search of the Rokubi and escalating the situation. It's unclear who started the fires. It could have been a by-product of the conflict at first, until the missing-nin realized the damage it was doing to Yagura's reputation and control in the Land of Water."

"So between that and Naruto's disappearance, Madara was finally forced to confront Orochimaru directly," Jiraiya said. "That's when we were lucky enough to meet him there at the same time."

"You _were_ lucky. The conflict between them gave Naruto-kun enough time to escape," Ao said. "I don't think Madara expected Orochimaru to target Yagura with the intent to kill. Either because they both knew he was nothing more than Madara's proxy, or because he genuinely believed Orochimaru was interested in the bijuu."

"Orochimaru always been hard to read in combat," Jiraiya said, his hand moving over the healed wound in his abdomen. "He caught me off guard, too. I've never seen him move like that before."

* * *

They arrived in Kirigakure earlier than the last time. The sun was just starting to go down, diffusing the mist into a golden glow as they disembarked. They arrived at a port Naruto hadn't seen before, a large one. He craned his neck to look up and down the docks, but didn't see any remaining damage from the attack just a little over a week ago. But then, that was probably why this port was still in use.

"This way, please," Ao said tersely, motioning for them to hurry along.

He led them past other boats of many different sizes, then onto a clean-swept street that led to a gate in one of the village's outer walls. There were more guards than before—not just Kiri hunter-nin, but chuunin in gray flak armor and woven arm and shin guards. They all stood at attention as Ao, Naruto, and Jiraiya approached.

The faces Naruto could see did not look thrilled to welcome him back. Their stares varied from cautious to blatantly distrustful. They nodded to Ao and allowed all three to pass through the gate without argument, but Naruto continued to feel their stares as they walked by. He looked back over his shoulder and saw that two of them were now following behind from a distance.

"It has been a while since I've seen Kirigakure! Outsiders haven't been allowed in for decades," Jiraiya said. His tone sounded casual as ever, but he met Naruto's eyes and gave a barely discernible shake of his head. "So, where are we meeting Mei-sama?"

"A place that's even more closed off to outsiders," Ao said. They walked through another open gate in one of the inner walls, and he paused. Naruto stopped beside him and looked up.

Most of the cylindrical buildings were still standing, but they were charred. The plant life that used to hang from narrow horizontal slats along the towers had been reduced to spiky black debris. There obviously hadn't been time to clear them out everywhere yet.

"We are in a vulnerable state right now," Ao said. "Everyone already knows now about Yagura's death and the civil conflict instigated by Orochimaru. The part that seems to be less known is the manipulation of our Kage by Akatsuki. But the fact that Konoha knows about it is bad enough. Inviting outsiders into our village is like asking the vultures to come in and pick at our wounds."

Ao turned around. He glanced at the two guards behind them. They were closer than before; not within range to strike, but their very presence was unnerving.

"It's fine," Ao told them unexpectedly. "You can go back to your posts."

There was a pause, as if they were tempted to argue. But eventually they murmured their assent and turned back. Naruto and Jiraiya remained tense as they walked away.

"I take it most people here feel the same way you do?" Jiraiya said.

"Unfortunately, no. Not most. The guards simply do not know why you are here right now. But it's best they do not. This plan requires perfect control over the release of information."

"I don't care about all that complicated stuff," Naruto said. "Is Lava-Lady gonna help us against Madara or not?"

" _Ahem._ " Jiraiya clapped his hand down on the top of Naruto's head, but he wiggled away.

"I'm just saying… if they won't, then we have to come up with something else."

"Impertinent," Ao said, raising his voice slightly. "If I had my way, you would not have been brought here again. But Mei-sama wants your assistance." He paused. "We've already come this far. This way." He gestured toward the building in front of them.

* * *

The round tower turned out to be nothing but a facade. It had wide, rounded double doors that Ao took them through after deactivating a security seal. After they got inside, though, there was nothing there. The only thing in the hollow tube was another large round door, set into the middle of the floor.

They went underground. It was dark at first, but soon they were passing by dim, thin lights set near the ceiling. It was the sort of passage Orochimaru would have in his hideouts, only much larger and cleaner.

It looked like many people were intended to pass through at once. Naruto remembered what he'd sensed with Sage Mode during the attack. The majority of Kiri's population had gone underground. This had to be part of that system.

Questions buzzed around his head like flies, but he and Jiraiya both kept quiet. The atmosphere in the tunnel seemed to demand silence.

Their walk went on for much longer than Naruto expected. He zoned out about halfway through, but noticed the feel and smell of the underground air change at some point. It smelled like the sea. He wondered if they were traveling underneath the water.

Finally, after an eternity, they came to a wide stone staircase and began to climb.

The crisp air of the outdoors was almost startling after their time underground. It was fully night. The sea breeze whipped their faces as they emerged into the open.

"Where are we?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"One of the many small islands in proximity to the village," Ao said.

"But not one that appears on any map, I'm guessing," Jiraiya said, turning to look behind them.

Naruto copied him. They couldn't be too far from the village, but it was impossible to see where it was through the thick mist.

Naruto turned around to scan the island. It didn't look inhabited. There were plenty of trees here, and through the wild tangle of their branches he could only see the top of one building. It was a round stone tower like the one they'd come through.

It looked no different from any of the other buildings they'd seen in Kiri, but this one gave Naruto a sick, heavy feeling in his stomach.

"Thank you for responding to my request."

Naruto jumped back, only to quickly realize it was Mei, walking toward them from the water's edge.

"I know it must be an inconvenience to come all this way, but I'm not in a position to leave home right now."

"Is everybody doing okay?" Naruto said.

Mei smiled. "Most of the injuries were on the other side, and even they are recovering well. Under armed guard, of course, but I believe most will be able to rejoin the village."

"I have explained the situation to them," Ao said. "There are still preparations to make tonight, Mei-sama."

Mei sighed, resting her cheek in one hand tiredly. "That is true. I will take them from here. Guard the passageway until we come back."

Ao pursed his lips, but he obeyed. He turned around, the paper charms on his earlobes swirling in the abrupt motion, and stood there in front of the tunnel while they walked away.

They were in the woods in seconds. At first, Naruto thought it was too thick to walk through, but as they approached, a path somehow seemed to appear.

"What's going on?" he asked, trying not to sound too spooked. "What is this place?"

Nobody answered. He looked up through the trees as they walked forward. They were approaching the tower.

Soon they were in a clearing, and the tower was right in front of them. Now that they were right at it, it reminded him of something.

"It looks kind of like the goal we had to reach during the Chuunin exams." Naruto looked up at Mei.

"That's fitting, in a way." Mei met his gaze and held it. "Under the rule of the Third and Fourth Mizukage, this is one of the things that earned our village the nickname Bloody Mist. During the Third War, prisoners were kept underground beneath the tower. That was before there was a tunnel leading out. Afterward, this place was repurposed as a fighting ground for our Academy exam. You're familiar with the incident that ended that."

"Y-Yeah."

"It doesn't seem like the kind of place you'd want to show to tourists," Jiraiya said. He too was staring up at the tower, arms crossed.

"No," Mei said. "Many have done their best to forget it even exists. The only reason it still stands is because Yagura never took it down, even after the Academy changed. Knowing what we know now, perhaps Madara was controlling Yagura from here. It's close to the village, yet off-limits to almost everyone."

"So what does this have to do with your plan to fight against him? You don't think he'll come back here, do you?" Jiraiya asked.

Mei shook her head. "No. At least, not for its own sake. But let me tell you a small story about the Three-Tails. The bijuu existed long before the Hidden Villages were established, of course. But some of them reappeared in the same places. The Ichibi, for example, was strongly tied to the desert surrounding what is now Sunagakure. It became part of the local mythos. The Sanbi was that way, too. It always returned to the islands of the current Water country. Powerful clans, drawn by these types of legends, formed the prototypes of Suna and Kiri. The Beasts and the humans have affected one another throughout history."

"Then, when it comes back… it'll probably be on one of these islands?" Naruto guessed.

"Almost certainly," Mei said. "There are hundreds of islands here, spread over a large territory. But we also know that bijuu appear in places of great hate and death and despair. In recent history, that makes _this_ place the most likely candidate. Madara will have realized this, as well."

"But how do you know when it's going to be reborn?" Jiraiya asked.

"We don't," Mei said, turning back to them. "But it doesn't matter. All we have to do is convince Madara that we do. If he thinks we know the exact day, then that's the day he's sure to show up. We have also replaced Yagura's security seals around this place with our own, in case he decides to make any unexpected visits. It seems likely he launched the attack from here."

"Where does that leave us?" Jiraiya asked. "And if Madara led the break-in, why wasn't he there during the attack?"

"Maybe he was there, but hiding very well. Maybe he went elsewhere while his forces distracted everyone. As for you two…" Mei crossed her arms. "You have fought Madara as himself before. How familiar are you with his abilities?"

"Very," Jiraiya said. "So what you need is information, or do you want us to do something more?"

"We can help!" Naruto blurted, stepping toward Mei. "Let us fight him, too. The more the better, right?"

"And you think you would be an asset against Madara?" Mei gave a sly smile.

Naruto scowled at her and tried to think of something convincing to say. Even if it was selfish, he didn't want anyone to confront the false Madara until he had the chance to talk to him again.

"Madara needs me alive. If it comes to a fight, I'm the only one he's not gonna try to kill. If your Sanbi bait doesn't work, you can use me."

Jiraiya didn't say anything. He just reached over and flicked Naruto in the forehead.

"Ow! But it would work, wouldn't it?" Naruto stepped away, rubbing his head.

"Truly spoken like a Hokage-in-training," Mei said, a hint of her former playfulness showing. "Tsunade-sama told me about your ambitions. Of course I called you here because I want you to help. I thought that was obvious."

"Oh," Naruto said, lowering his hands. "You mean…"

Mei chuckled. "Our two villages are collaborating against Madara. From what I understand, you are on a training journey right now, not on any official missions, other than to do what you can to gather information."

"Therefore, we've been volunteered," Jiraiya said with a fake dramatic sigh.

"Really? So what do we get to do? When is it gonna happen?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"We haven't decided yet," Mei said. "We've only just agreed on the place. This island is much closer to the village than anyone would like, but it's the place Madara is most likely to believe. For all we know, he perpetuated horrors here for that very reason."

"My guess is you need the right rumors to get around to him," Jiraiya said.

"Yes. Pretend that we've come up with a way to know the exact place and time it will reappear. Perhaps with the help of our young jinchuuriki friend." She winked at Naruto. "Of course it must look like a genuine leak, but I believe he will show up even if he suspects a trap. I did have an idea about timing, though it has not been agreed upon yet. The next Chuunin exams are coming up soon in Suna."

"That makes sense," Jiraiya said. "There won't be as many people in the village then, which will make it safer for them _and_ make this place a more tempting target for Madara."

"It will seem like inconvenient timing for us, which will make the act more convincing, as well," Mei said. "So, that's it. Can we count on your cooperation?"

"We'll be there!" Naruto said immediately.

Jiraiya gave a thoughtful hum. "I think isolating Madara and taking him down now, before Akatsuki gains too much power, is the best way to handle him. We'll help in whatever way we can. In the meantime, though, our top priority is tracking Orochimaru. If we happen to hear anything about Madara, we'll let you know, but otherwise…"

"Understood. We'll keep in touch."

"Well then—"

"Wait, are we leaving already?" Naruto asked, noticing Jiraiya's tone.

"We still have plenty to do, remember?" Jiraiya said, raising a significant brow. "It'll be best if we can keep an eye on Madara as we go along, and deal with Orochimaru first of all. I don't want to risk getting caught between them again. Especially not here."

"Oh, right."

"It is sweet of you to be concerned, but you'll be back again," Mei said. "There will be a place for you if you don't mind missing the Exams."

He was trying not to think about that. Naruto looked over at the tower again. "I guess it can't be helped. I do have a question, though. About the Third War."

"What is it?"

Naruto looked back at Mei. "I heard that Kiri almost used the Sanbi on Konoha. But it went wrong, and someone stopped them."

"By someone, you mean your jounin instructor Hatake Kakashi? Yet he seemed completely willing to help when all of you were here."

"He was. I mean—that's not my question. I just want to know… what made them decide to do that? Do you think there's anything that could have stopped it? I mean, without a bunch of people having to die."

"That's an odd question." Mei rested a hand on her hip. "I wasn't involved in that level of decision making back then. The official reports don't talk about reasons or motivations. But it was a brutal war. By that time, it felt like a race to see who could storm the other's walls first. Forces from Konoha were already deep into the Land of Water, and we were slowly but surely being pushed back. It seemed there was nothing to lose."

"So, there's nothing that could have stopped them from trying to use it?"

"Aside from Konoha's retreat and a certain victory for Kiri? It's doubtful." Mei tilted her head to the side. "Why ask about this now?"

"I was just thinking… if this is the place where they sealed the Sanbi, then Madara will definitely come back here."

"Interesting thought. I don't know, but it's possible. Oh—looks like our time is up."

Naruto followed Mei's gaze and saw Ao approaching, ready to escort them back to the village.

"Until next time, take care. The same to you, Jiraiya-sama." Mei winked as Ao held out his arms to usher them along. Mei remained, staring up at the old prison.

They walked back to the underground passage. Jiraiya grinned appreciatively. "We'll definitely be back again. Kirigakure has moved up in the world."

* * *

Naruto looked back at the retreating boat. Ao brought them back here, and now they were officially on the road again.

"We need a system," Jiraiya said, starting off across the sand.

"For what?" Naruto followed him.

"In case we get separated again. What I should do if you disappear without warning. It would be nice to know whether there's cause for panic or not."

"I won't leave with Obito without telling you anymore."

"Forgive me if I'm skeptical. Is that kid able to find you exactly where you are, no matter what?"

"Yeah." Naruto gripped the straps of his backpack as they climbed up the steep bank and onto grassy ground. "I have no way to call him if I get in trouble, but he shows up a lot, anyway. Plus, we know Orochimaru's barriers can't stop him."

"But Orochimaru knows all about it, which means he could eventually find a way. And would Obito be able to reach you in his older self's kamui?"

They made it to the road. Naruto stared down at it as they walked, trying to figure it out.

"I think so? I don't really know. But I know a way to escape from kamui. I did it once in the future. If that happens, I'll just pretend to be trapped, then leave as soon as I'm alone. Akatsuki isn't ready to use any of the bijuu yet, so I'll be ok for a while."

"Well, this is a worst case scenario. If you're gone and nothing comes up in the search, I'll know it's one of those three. If you don't leave me some kind of message, I'll have to assume it's one of the bad guys."

"Alright, alright, I'll leave a message."

"And make sure to reference something Orochimaru wouldn't know. Something from before the future."

"Huh?"

"Because you're a walking information leak, and now he knows I want you to leave a message. Oi, are you taking any of this seriously?" Jiraiya went to flick Naruto in the forehead again, but he dodged this time.

"How are we supposed to sneak up on Orochimaru without him knowing, anyway? We had a hard enough time trying to find the younger one."

"I have a couple of ideas," Jiraiya said. "But I'm going to have to keep you on need-to-know information only for a while. That is, unless you want to try breaking the seal. I don't know what might happen, but I think you were meant to use the Kyuubi's power eventually."

"Yeah. The older me could do it. But…"

"Right. Breaking the seal would mean losing a direct line to Obito and the past." Jiraiya looked up at the sky. "We've already burned up the day. Let's have a good sit-down meal and find a place for tonight."

* * *

 **Chapter 26, The Third War's Firstborn, will post September 29. Until next time!**


	26. The Third War's Firstborn

**(Posted 9/29/18)**

 **CHAPTER 26 | The Third War's Firstborn**

 **Obito** took a roundabout way home in order to avoid the celebrating crowds. It took ten minutes to reach his apartment, but the extra walking helped work out the tension coiling in his chest. At least he could breathe again by the time he made it there.

He stepped through the door off the street, then up the stairs above the tailor's shop. It was dark in the stairwell. Finally at his own door, Obito gave a long exhale and took off his backpack to get his key.

Now that things were calm and still, he remembered the stupidest thing. The first time he and Naruto met, neither of them had known about the past-future they had in common. Obito now regretted most of the things he'd said in ignorance back then. Maybe Orochimaru's grand master plan was to make him die from embarrassment in hindsight.

"Shut up already," he muttered to himself, zipping his backpack aggressively and standing with the key in hand.

"Wait," a voice said quietly the moment he put the key in the lock.

Obito jumped horribly and let go of the key; the fan-shaped keychain plinked against the metal door handle, but it didn't fall out.

"S-Sensei," Obito said, heart lobbing like he'd missed a stair walking down. Minato was standing beside him. The shop below was already closed for the day, so the building was completely quiet.

"I-I forgot you could find me." Obito forced his limbs to unfreeze and he turned the key in the lock.

"I'm sorry for startling you. But you left so quickly, I wanted to make sure you were alright. Rin told me you seemed upset."

"I'm fine." Obito put his hand on the door handle, but he didn't turn it.

"There was something I wanted to talk to you about after everyone went their own way. It's about your nomination for jounin."

"You think I'm not ready?" Obito said resignedly. "I sort of thought it was too good to be true."

"It isn't the worst idea I've ever heard." Minato gave a wry smile. "But I would like to know who did it, and why." He spoke quieter, low enough that Obito had to listen carefully to hear him. "I don't want the progression of your career to be somebody else's political move. But I don't think it would hurt for you to become closer with the Uchiha, either."

"Because of the…" Obito debated about whether to say it or not. "Attack?"

Minato gave the barest of nods. "It's up to you to accept the promotion or not. But do find out whatever you can."

"I will."

Minato's face relaxed. He looked relieved. He made for the doorway that led to downstairs, then paused.

"Thank you… for letting me meet him."

Then he was gone.

Obito let out another long, shuddering breath and pushed open the door. For one short, irrational second, he thought he was about to die.

But Minato didn't know, because Naruto hadn't known. He just thought some random Uchiha was responsible. Which could be a problem. But at least Obito didn't have to jump every time he saw his sensei's shadow. He thanked whatever god had kept Naruto from figuring everything out at the wrong time.

But he decided not to disappear into kamui that evening.

* * *

The next day, Jiraiya wouldn't tell Naruto anything about where they were going to look first. His method for sneaking up on Orochimaru turned out to be very simple, but unpleasant.

"Ugh." Naruto said after the transport toad poofed away. "What does that thing eat, anyway? I swear it was extra slimy."

"I didn't really think someone would be here, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Naruto watched Jiraiya walk toward the gaping hole in the ground and he knew immediately where they were. This was where they'd faced Orochimaru and the older Obito at the same time.

It looked the same as they'd left it. A huge slice of the cliff had fallen into the sea, the result of Gamabunta getting dropped on the crumbling structure. The hollow space created by the roof collapse was now a hideout for seagulls. They hopped around and watched keenly as Naruto and Jiraiya climbed down into the hole.

"It doesn't seem like anyone has come this way," Jiraiya said, looking around at the debris. "But anyone who might have come here was already gone by then. Most people nearby had to relocate after the Kiri attacks."

"Part of this has to be underground! With some kind of barrier around it so we can't see in. Just like the others." Naruto moved around a pile of rubble near the room's edge. He was looking for a door to the inside.

"Right. The labs."

Naruto and Jiraiya had investigated many bases in the last search, and though they were all different, they had one structural theme in common: labs and information were kept below, blocked from their senses, and everything else was further up. Going below was always the most dangerous part. That's where the traps and the cages were, and they could not see the full extent of it in advance.

But though they went down, there was nothing. Just ruins. They searched from the top of the base to the lowest level, and found not even a scrap of information.

"Come on," Jiraiya said, setting a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "It's not really a surprise there's nothing here. They probably had no intention of coming back."

"Now what?" Naruto asked. They had reached the top level again, and Naruto followed Jiraiya as they hauled themselves out of the pit and onto the grass once more.

"When we don't know where to start, we start with the basics," Jiraiya said. "There is one more place I want to check today. Time to _hop_ back in the toad and head _toard_ our next destination!"

Naruto made a sound that was a mix between disgust and despair.

* * *

Their next destination was the hideout where Obito, Naruto, and Orochimaru appeared from the future timeline. It was just outside the bounds of the Land of Fire, closer to Oto.

Of course, there was no one there. Just the destroyed lab, the scorched foyer, and a surprising amount of vandalism. It looked like others had come to raid this place before them.

"Orochimaru removed the barrier that made this place undetectable to most," Jiraiya said, looking down at the two serpentine statues beside the entranceway, which had been knocked over. "Maybe he had some specimens here that escaped. Or maybe he angered the locals enough that they decided to take advantage."

"He's not anywhere around here." Naruto opened his eyes and frowned in disappointment. His Sage Mode hadn't caught any hint of Orochimaru, like almost every time before, but it was still frustrating. It was even more frustrating when they didn't know exactly what his disappearance meant.

"Of course not. He was gone by the time I got here to bail you out of trouble. But it is strange that no one else has seen or heard from him in months, either. Let's look around for a bit at the village and see if anyone here knows anything."

They went to the local village to sit and watch and listen. Jiraiya made inquiries in the casual way he always did. People seemed eager to reveal what they knew, which wasn't very much. Usually, even when Orochimaru wasn't here, his subordinates were, and they acted like they owned the place. But now, there hadn't been sign of any of them.

"We'll move in a bit closer to Oto like we did last time, but we'll take a different route," Jiraiya said as they walked the path away from the little village. "Not much use in pretending we're not going to check there next. What was it he told you? About undoing everything his younger self did?"

"That was it," Naruto shook his head and shrugged. "He said he's not interested in anything his younger self was doing. And he said he'd let Sasuke do whatever he wanted without explaining to him about the time travel stuff."

"That's all well and good, but it means we don't know what he could be up to instead," Jiraiya muttered.

"Then, what are we going to do? When you think about it… he could just keep avoiding us if he wanted to. I mean, since he can see wherever we are."

Jiraiya glanced down at him, then back up at the path. "Maybe, but I don't see why this Orochimaru would care about avoiding us, even if we guessed his intentions correctly. I doubt he sees us as a threat. Maybe he is trying to stay hidden from Akatsuki, to do whatever he's doing without interruption. Either way, I don't think it can be anything good."

"If he really is going after Akatsuki… it has to be because of the older Obito, right? To try to take his Sharingan."

"At this point, it would be nice if we had leads on Orochimaru, Sasuke, _or_ Obito. Something to start with, at least. I don't know what the hell happened while we were off fighting in another timeline."

"What do you mean? You think we missed something?"

"I have no idea. That's the problem."

* * *

"Obito-chan!" the old lady who ran the tailor's shop called to him when he walked down the stairs. "I didn't see you come in yesterday! I was at home. But everybody has been telling me about the news. Losing their heads a bit early, if you ask me. We haven't won yet."

"'Morning, Hinako-baa." Obito gave a yawn. "I'm on standby today, so is there anything you need me to pick up for you?"

"Oh!" Hinako looked surprised, as if he _didn't_ always offer to help the shop on his days off. "Oh dear, let me see... if you don't mind, would you please go check on my order down at Daito's?" She turned around to her desk and pulled open the top drawer, where receipts were kept. "I went there the first of the week, but there wasn't quite the amount I needed, so I just decided to wait, and order it all at once. Didn't want to deprive his customers just for me."

"Okay," Obito said, even though he didn't believe a word of it. "Obaa, maybe you should think about hiring someone to lift the heavy things."

"Now, everything is on here, just give him the list," Hinako said, handing Obito a large slip of paper. "I've already paid. There's a good boy."

"Hinako-baa..." Obito hesitated. "Have you, uh… heard anyone around here talking about me?"

"In what way, dear? I just told you, the whole village is buzzing about defeating Iwa. I'm so happy you made it back home! Of course, I wasn't worried about a thing, not with Minato-kun looking after you."

"Okay. Alright. I'll go get that stuff. Be back soon."

It didn't take long to walk anywhere in the Uchiha district, but Obito took his time, strolling through and saying hello to a few older residents that wanted to stop and chat. His usual acquaintances were eager to discuss the mission, but whenever the topic came up, he waved the receipt and said he needed to get going.

He was nearing the fabric store now. Obito looked down at the paper to figure out what he would be picking up, and the moment he did, he noticed something in his path. It was too late to stop his step—he barely managed to stop himself from going intangible. He bumped solidly into a child walking by, who gave a quiet _oof_ and stumbled.

"Oh, sorry!" Obito caught the little's boy arm. "That was my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going."

The child stared up at him with the typical flat black eyes of an Uchiha and didn't acknowledge his apology one way or the other.

"Are you alright?" Obito ventured.

"Oh, it's Obito!"

Obito looked up and his stomach dropped. The Clan Head's wife, Uchiha Mikoto, was in front of him. And beside her was Kushina. They were both carrying bags of food from the nearby market.

"Ooh, there he is!" Kushina said, moving closer and raising one red brow at Obito. "Good job finding him, Ita-chan. Now we just need to catch Kakashi."

Of course. If Obito had been the first to escape the crowd, Kakashi was undoubtedly the second.

"Um, this is…?" Obito asked as Mikoto took the child's hand.

"Itachi," Mikoto said warmly. "It's been a while since you've seen him."

"Yeah. How old his he now?" Obito was not good with ages, but Mikoto's son looked less like a blob than he'd imagined.

"He's three." Mikoto smoothed Itachi's hair with her hand. "And talking a lot, though it might be hard to tell at the moment."

Itachi was still staring at him, and Obito stared back. Out of everyone in the Uchiha clan, Obito tolerated old people, babies, and Mikoto the most. Despite the fact that her husband liked to snub him, Mikoto was always nice to Obito, and she was a good friend to Kushina.

But it was downright weird knowing her son would grow up to kill everyone in the clan.

When was that supposed to happen, again? Obito had been so preoccupied with the upcoming Kiri conflict that he'd shrugged it off. It was a long time after the incident with the Kyuubi, right? But if the two things were related somehow, it was possible that whatever Obito did would affect Itachi's fate as well.

"Obito?" Kushina said. "Did something happen on the mission?"

"Huh?" Obito looked up at her quickly. "Oh. Not really. I mean—we got into a few fights we weren't supposed to. Did you hear about the guys that tried to ambush us on our way back home?"

"Oh, yes," Mikoto said.

"We did," Kushina agreed with a snort. "I guess it's good Hiruzen-sama isn't going to hold it against them, but I bet you anything that old fart Ohnoki had something to do with it."

"You know how it is." Mikoto gave her best friend a placating smile. "Sometimes it's necessary to overlook smaller things in the name of a larger peace."

"Well, it's nice to meet you for real, Itachi-kun. You can call me Obito-nii, okay?" Obito held out his hand to the youngster, who reacted by clutching Mikoto's pants leg.

"Come on, say hello, Itachi," Mikoto scolded gently. "You know about Obito. He's on Minato-san's team, remember?"

Itachi nodded and gave Obito a serious look. "Obito-nii got taken by Kumo last year."

"Oh… right." Obito was surprised by the soft clarity of the child's speech. "But it's okay now. I didn't get hurt too badly."

Kushina tsked. "Why does Fugaku feel the need to constantly fill that kid with war stories?"

Mikoto shook her head, but didn't answer. Instead, she looked back at Obito. "You should come by for dinner sometime. You're always welcome."

"I doubt that," Obito said automatically, thinking of Fugaku. "I mean, thanks for inviting me, but it's not going to make those stuffy guys in the police force like me any better."

Mikoto tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "That's not true. If things seem uncomfortable now between you and the rest of the clan, it's only because more of them are starting to see your potential."

"That's right." Kushina nodded.

Maybe. But Orochimaru had seen his potential, too, and that hadn't gone so well.

"Hey, do you know…" Obito looked around. There was no reason for him to hide it, but he felt like it shouldn't be overheard. "One of the Uchiha recommended me for jounin, but I have no idea who it is."

"Oh?" Kushina's eyes lit up with intrigue. "Do you know who did it, Mikoto?"

"That is wonderful! But no, I don't. I think Fugaku would probably know. Would you like me to ask him?"

"No—that's alright," Obito said. "It would just annoy him. They're bound to tell me themselves eventually. If not, I'll get that old man Hokage to tell me."

"That is kind of strange. No one better be playing games with you, 'ttebane," Kushina said, baring her fist. "But if it's true, we'll have to throw you a party like we did for Kakashi! And, as an extra present to you, we'll make him actually attend."

Obito grinned. "Thanks. Tell me if you hear anything about it. I gotta get going and pick up some stuff." He waved Hinako's receipt.

"It was good to see you again. Don't run off so quickly next time," Kushina said.

"Sorry. There was just, uh… too many people around. I wanted to go home."

"Right. Because you've always hated being the center of attention."

"Kushina." Mikoto nudged her with an elbow. "It was nice seeing you, Obito."

"Yeah." Obito looked down at Itachi again.

If there was going to be an attempted coup, the most obvious suspect was Fugaku. That would explain how his son had gotten so deeply involved. Obito didn't have a clue what to do about it, but he found himself sympathizing with the child. They were in the same boat, careening toward the edge.

"See you later," Obito said. "Let's both do our best, okay, Itachi-kun?"

Even though there was no way he knew exactly what Obito was talking about, the boy nodded.

* * *

Jiraiya took them on a roundabout route to Oto, spending several days at each stop. He didn't express much hope that Orochimaru would be in the Hidden Village, but the surrounding area was dotted with information sources. Naruto was usually given a training task while Jiraiya went to talk to someone.

It wasn't all that different from what they were doing before, but knowing his very presence could hinder their search made Naruto particularly lonely while waiting for Jiraiya to come back.

He was still trying to get Kurama to speak to him, without much success. The most he ever got was when he asked, ' _What do you know about the Sanbi?'_ and Kurama said _He's a weakling._

Someday, Naruto would have to rely on Kurama's power to break Orochimaru's seal, even if that meant losing the only thing that tied him to the past.

Even without a direct answer, he knew Kurama was willing to help him fight Orochimaru. The real question was how, or when, or if there was any justification in hesitating at all.

"You've got that look like you're about to have a bad idea," Jiraiya said.

Naruto looked up. He was supposed to be meditating, but instead he'd ended up staring down at his open palms.

"Not a _bad_ idea," he protested. "We should find a way to use this connection between me and Orochimaru. I could see what he's up to if I learn to hold on longer. Or more than that! It's like a Summoning Contract, right? Maybe I can reverse-summon him."

"In theory, that would be possible," Jiraiya admitted. "But you can't do it if _he_ can't. Minato blocked the contract, so unless we remove that block, neither of you can Summon the other. You follow?"

"But we can still see what the other is doing, so there is definitely some kind of—"

"The way I see it, this surveillance thing is separate from the Summoning Contract," Jiraiya said. "I mean, your friends don't have it, right? It's like an advanced version of what he used on the former Hokage when he summoned them using Edo Tensei."

"That _is_ it. I already knew that." Naruto waved his hands impatiently.

"Then what's your point?"

"My point is—whatever the link is, if it goes both ways, I should be able to turn it back around. Not just to trace along the connection, but reverse it. To see through his eyes."

"That's what I mean by a bad idea."

"What choice do we have at this point? We need to find Orochimaru _soon_. If he hasn't already gone after Obito's Sharingan, he could show up at Kiri when they do the Sanbi plan."

"I didn't say not to try." Jiraiya leaned back. "But it could go wrong. There is always a risk when it comes to entering another shinobi's mind. I doubt even a Yamanaka would want to try it on _him_."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Naruto was half-joking, half genuinely wanting to know.

"Normally, the worst case is springing a mental trap that causes severe damage to the chakra pathways in your brain. In other words, death." Jiraiya gave a shrug. "But you probably don't have to worry about that. If Orochimaru wanted to kill you, he'd pick a more dramatic way to do it."

"Then—"

"But he could undo the safeguards Minato put on you. Don't try it unless you're prepared for the possibility of him controlling you."

"Oh." Naruto looked down at his hands again. "Me and Kurama already agreed on what to do if that happens again. So, yeah. I am prepared."

Jiraiya eyed him warily. "Did Minato also teach you how to say terrifying things with a straight face? Alright. We'll give it a try. Go ahead and get back in your stance."

Naruto watched as Jiraiya walked over and sat cross-legged on the ground in front of him. "Are you going into Sage Mode?"

"If I potentially have to wrestle a released Kyuubi or Orochimaru in the form of my student, I'd like to have some firepower."

Naruto closed his eyes and put his hands together.

' _I hope you're awake, Kurama.'_

Finally it came, the voice welling from deep within his consciousness.

 _Just let him try to come near my cage._

Naruto wasn't exactly sure how to do it. The first and only time he'd tried directly grasping the invisible thread that linked him to Orochimaru, he'd ended up immobilized, a sensation like piercing static filling his senses.

But that had been in the future, and circumstances were different. He'd still been under control then, and cut off from the natural defenses Kurama gave him. He was stronger now. Better at channeling energy. Maybe that would be enough.

Rather than physically reaching out, he felt the thread with his senses, like earlier. Then he inhaled sharply and seized the thread.

It jolted him like a live wire, and Naruto almost lost his hold on the energy. Rather than recoil, he kept the image of a wire in his head, a power line, and he imagined himself as electricity flowing in a direct line to the source.

It was fast. He expected a collision when he reached the end, imagined hurling directly into a brick wall. But intruding into Orochimaru's mind wasn't like that. It was more like running through a swinging door, expecting resistance and finding none, stumbling suddenly into an open space.

Naruto opened his eyes. Or were they already open? He was no longer sitting on the ground. Instead, he was standing in a dimly lit hallway. It had the feeling of a place underground. One of the hideouts?

At first, Naruto wasn't sure if what he seeing was real, or if it was simply a representation of Orochimaru's mind. But when he tried to move, nothing happened.

"That's far enough, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru said. Naruto felt the words emerge from himself. It was just like the reverse. He couldn't hear Orochimaru's thoughts, only the words he said out loud.

"I admit, I have been too busy today to pay much attention. What drove you to try this? If you are looking for Sasuke, I'm sorry to tell you he isn't here. He is still with our friends in Akatsuki."

 _What are you doing?_ Naruto tried demanding, but the words refused to form.

"While we're here, I wonder, have you given any more thought to what I asked you before? About how you are going to choose? I think you've realized this by now, but the time you have left to decide is running out."

He—they—turned around. The hall in front of them was empty, but behind them was anything but.

Bodies were strewn all along the hall. Broken weapons littered the floor and ceiling and walls. Some of the people were encircled in snakes. He had no idea who they were.

Naruto's mind raced, but Orochimaru remained completely calm.

"Don't worry. Most of the people here will live." They started walking through the wreckage, stepping smoothly over bodies and sharp objects. "You see, I'm keeping the promise I made to you. I have not seriously harmed anyone you care about."

The shinobi were all wearing similar clothes—some kind of uniform. One or two of them had masks. Masks? Were they back in Kiri?

"Of course, that rule applies to _this_ world only, and I have no intention of spending the rest of my life here."

Orochimaru stopped to turn a shinobi's head over with his foot, and he pushed off the mask. The man's face was not familiar, but Naruto finally got a good look at the mask.

It didn't look like the ones Kiri's hunter-nin wore.

It looked like an ANBU mask.

"There are some people here you know. I'm in a hurry, but I'll let you see them."

Orochimaru snapped his fingers and they heard the sickening sound of scales sliding over concrete. Orochimaru closed his eyes and waited for a moment. When he opened them, two people were at their feet, wrapped tightly in glossy coils.

 _Sai! Moku-oji!_

Naruto would have called out to them, but he couldn't. They were both unconscious, both a little younger than he knew them, but there was no mistaking their faces. Yamato looked very pale. Sai had blood running from his nose and mouth.

The masked people _were_ ANBU, and this had to be Konoha.

"It's strange, isn't it, how we have ended up in this position again?" Orochimaru bent to push Yamato's head back with one long-nailed hand, showing the snake bites on the man's neck. "Resources are harder to come by in this time, but it's also a great deal easier to get away with things. This is nothing but a preview for the main show. A successful test, ne?"

A rushing sound was filling Naruto's head. The piercing shriek of static sent lines through what he could hear and see.

He remembered it, too. Yamato's face, pale and crumpled with pain as he struggled for consciousness against the poison.

"—But enough time reminiscing. There are still some loose ends to tie up here."

 _Naruto, run._

And he did. He was running before the vision was over, before Orochimaru could say or do anything else. It didn't matter what he had to say, what explanations or taunts he was about to give. Naruto ran with Kurama's power bleeding into him, only half-seeing the trees whipping by as he returned to his own body.

He ran. But this time, it wasn't away.

* * *

 **Chapter 27, Wrong Answer, will post October 13. See you then!**


	27. Wrong Answer

**(posted 10/6/18)**

 **Whaaat? A totally unscheduled update? Yes.**

 **CHAPTER 27 |** **Wrong Answer**

 **The** blurry world stopped moving when something hit Naruto in the back and he crashed into the ground.

It didn't hurt at all. The bubbling aura around him cushioned his fall. If only he could move—something was holding him down. Why—

Naruto caught a glimpse of the long red streaks on Jiraiya's face before something slapped his forehead.

The orange energy retreated. It hurt, like sand scraping across a wound, or tiny claws clinging to his skin. Naruto gasped for breath, and the static was suddenly gone.

"Are you with me, kid?" Jiraiya peered down at him cautiously. His face had the toad-like features of Sage Mode.

"He's in the village!" Naruto's voice was hoarse, his throat burned raw. "We have to tell Baa-chan—a whole bunch of ANBU got taken out—"

"An attack now? In the middle of the day?" Jiraiya said, but he pulled Naruto to his feet. "Then again, he's done it before."

"It was somewhere underground. I didn't recognize most of the people there, but—we have to hurry!"

Jiraiya gave Naruto a once-over, as if checking that he was still himself, then nodded. "Alright. I'll send word ahead. But we're still half a day out, even if we go as fast as we can with Sage Mode. We won't get there in time."

"What about the old man toad, he could call us—"

"Naruto, no." Jiraiya put his hands on Naruto's shoulders. "He can call us to wherever he is, but right now he's on the mountain. I can have him contact Tsunade through the pool. That's all. We do need to hurry, but you also need to keep the Kyuubi's chakra in check. If you lose control, it's only going to slow us down."

He was right. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and struggled to let go of the pull, the promise of power Kurama's energy offered. It wasn't time for that yet.

He would give anything for Obito or Minato to be there.

"Okay, I'm ready." Naruto opened his eyes. His vision was noticeably clearer. "Tell her to look underground. And get someone to find Kakashi-sensei."

* * *

Tsunade had them meet her in one of the underground tunnels that crisscrossed beneath the village. Most of the victims had been successfully removed and hospitalized, but nothing else had been cleaned up yet. They, along with the remaining ANBU, were doing a final sweep looking for hidden survivors or clues.

"He was gone by the time we arrived," Tsunade said without greeting, turning sharply and motioning for Jiraiya and Naruto to follow. Her footsteps were rapid clicks echoing through the hall. "Only one or two have regained consciousness so far. I'm going back to the hospital as soon as we're sure everyone is out."

"The entirety of Root got taken out in less than an hour. I'm not sure what's worse—the fact that they fell so easily, or the fact that they were still operating to this extent," Jiraiya said. "At least Orochimaru is thorough about betraying his allies."

"Wait, _this_ is Root? And you guys didn't know about it?" Naruto looked around. They were in a large space now, a column that went down dizzyingly far. Catwalks connected the many, many halls that connected to the space.

"Are you saying you did?" Jiraiya slowed his step enough to fall in beside him.

"I just heard the name before. I have no idea what's going on. What about Kakashi-sensei? Did you find him?" all the questions Naruto wanted to ask were piling up.

"Kakashi is fine," Tsunade said, stopping in the middle of the catwalk. "He helped out with the initial sweep and extraction. He and the other jounin are doing security checks all over the village."

"Not that it'll do much good," Jiraiya pointed out.

Tsunade tsked. "Give me a moment."

She bit down on her thumb and summoned a huge slug. Seconds later, it fell apart into smaller slugs, dispersing in every direction, climbing up and down the walls and heading into the tunnels.

"If there is anyone left, we'll take them back to the hospital with us. In the meantime, tell me, why did you think Kakashi might be a target?"

Naruto decided to keep it simple. "Because I thought Orochimaru would try to steal his Sharingan."

"Hm." Tsunade tapped her nails on the railing. "You may have been on the right track there. Though the casualties here have been low, it's obvious a lot of materials and information were stolen. The worst part is, we don't even know the extent of what Root had. But their leader… I suspect he himself had a collection of stolen eyes. If so, those are gone too."

"Is he…" Jiraiya started.

"Dead," Tsunade said flatly. "Solves one problem, but creates another. Any chance of getting information on Root is gone. None of the people who have regained consciousness can tell us anything. We can't even know for sure what Orochimaru took."

Jiraiya swore under his breath. "This isn't going to end well. We're at the mercy of someone whose motives are opaque at best."

"He wants to know everything there is to know about dimensional jutsu," Naruto said. "It goes along with whatever he was trying to do in the future. He only came here to get away from people trying to hunt him down there. Or maybe there's something he needs here that he couldn't get there."

Tsunade's eyes were bright with suppressed anger. "You can track him the way you did today, can't you? Find out where he is now?"

"At a cost," Jiraiya interrupted, making her glare turn on him. "He's not going to let Naruto see anything he doesn't want him to. It's a lot of risk for very little gain."

"It helped us out this time," Naruto protested.

"Did it? Sorry, I must have missed that part."

Tsunade nodded. "You're right. We'll have to find another way. But honestly, if what Orochimaru wants most is to leave this world and take the knowledge of the Time-Spanning Incarnation with him, I say let him. We can do whatever necessary to sever his connection to Naruto and make it so that he can't ever come back."

"Let him go? But… he could just keep opening up worlds forever, and they'd have no idea what they're up against." Naruto frowned.

"If he shows up again, we'll fight him, and do everything possible to take him down. Other than that, my top priority is protecting _this_ world. And you. It's enough that we have Akatsuki to deal with."

Jiraiya scratched his head. "Speaking of, I know I told you before that things with Kiri were a go, but this whole fiasco with Orochimaru complicates it."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"He might show up if he knows Madara's going to be there," Naruto said. "We might end up against both of them again. But we should still go for it. If they're fighting each other, maybe there'd be an opening!"

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand. "Of course. The eye that matches Kakashi's."

Naruto jumped, then whirled around to Jiraiya. "You told her about Obito?"

"It's slightly important information, and she _is_ the Hokage. Not to mention she's on your side, Naruto. We both are. This isn't a kids-versus-grownups thing."

"Naruto." Tsuande sounded a lot less angry than he expected. "I understand that you kept quiet about Madara's identity because you wanted to spare Kakashi's feelings—and Obito himself. The goal of the plan was to capture him alive, anyway. His fate will be decided by the Mizukage, once she knows everything about what he did. That cannot be ignored."

"I… I know."

He could feel static building up in his head again.

 _Who would you save? Would you give up everything you want?_

 _You'll find yourself cornered with a very painful choice if you don't think about those questions._

 _The time you have left to decide is running out._

Naruto blinked. Tsunade's hands were on his face. She felt his forehead as if checking for a fever.

"You need to take a nap," she said firmly.

"What? I'm not tired—"

"Your neural pathways are so fried, I'm surprised you're conscious as it is. Your accelerated healing should take care of it, but not unless you rest."

"But I'm not—"

Tsunade's hands moved to cup his cheeks. Her voice grew uncharacteristically soft. "You know, you can trust other people sometimes."

He fell into darkness as easily as flipping a switch.

Naruto sat up quickly, grabbing onto the rail of the bed as if to save himself from drowning. He was in the hospital, surrounded by curtains. And Kakashi was looking up from his book at him.

"That didn't take long," Kakashi said pleasantly. "Other people are sleeping, though, so try not to yell."

"Kakatwo-sensei."

"Say what?"

Naruto got out of the bed, relieved that he still had his normal clothes on and that he felt—admittedly—better. Even if Tsunade had prescribed him the same treatment as a cranky child.

"They said you might want to see me, so here I am." Kakashi closed his book and leaned forward to tuck it into his belt pouch. "I am curious to know why an ANBU showed up to be my bodyguard all of a sudden. Don't get me wrong; it _was_ pretty good timing. I was playing janken with Gai."

Naruto opened up the curtain and looked back and forth. As expected, the room was full of other beds, most of them hidden behind curtains. He didn't know how many had fallen in the attack, but the fact that so many were in the hospital meant Orochimaru really had spared their lives. So far.

"Where is Sakura-chan?" Naruto turned back to Kakashi.

"Tsunade-sama is putting her through the ringer," he said. "A crisis can be a good learning opportunity. They're working on antidotes. And before you ask, Jiraiya-sama is with the ANBU working on the cleanup underground."

Naruto let the curtain fall from his grip. "Basically… I thought he was going to go after your eye."

Kakashi nodded. "I figured that out, actually, but why? What is going on?"

"I'll tell you later. Before that, do you know where they're keeping Yamato and Sai?"

Kakashi gave him a questioning look. "I don't know who those people are, but you could try asking a nurse."

"Huh? How could you not know?"

"Easily. Is this one of those future things?"

"Oh, right. Sai joined our team, but nobody knew him before that. But you should know Yamato-taichou, he said you were in ANBU at the same time. He called you senpai."

"That explains it. The name you know him by is probably an alias. What is he like?"

"Uh, pretty tall, has short brown hair and a scary face." Naruto held a hand up high over his head. "I guess the big thing is he can use _mokuton._ "

"Ah." Kakashi leaned back. "That must be Tenzou. He's here. He was still unconscious when we brought everyone in, but apparently stable. Whether or not he is awake now depends on if he was poisoned."

"He was," Naruto said with certainty. "I don't know what everyone else got hit with, but Orochimaru has a kind of poison that's specifically meant to take down people with any sort of plant cells. He got me with it a couple times in the future, and Moku-oji too."

"Does Tsunade-sama know about this?"

"I told her when I was first explaining about the future, but she knocked me out before I could think of it this time."

Kakashi sighed and stood up from his chair. "I doubt we can visit Tenzou if he's not awake yet. Tsunade-sama has probably made the connection by now, but it's better if we talk to her. This poison isn't fatal?"

"No. It should wear off after a while. There is an antidote, but…"

But the only person who might know it was the younger Kabuto, and he was completely beyond Naruto's reach.

"But it's unlikely the antidote exists here unless we make it," Kakashi finished for him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

"Alright." Kakashi pushed the curtain back and raised a finger to his lips to remind Naruto to be quiet. But there was a nurse walking by, and Naruto slipped past Kakashi to stop her.

"Uh, excuse me," Naruto said quietly. "Is there anybody named Sai here?"

"Do you know the surname or room number?"

"No… he was in the attack earlier today. He's a kid my age. Really pale, with black hair and eyes."

The lady gave a thoughtful hum. "Most of the kids slated to be released soon are in this room. If he isn't here, he is in critical care, and you would need special permission to visit."

Naruto turned around and cast a sharp eye around the room.

"Is he a friend of yours? I think there was a boy who looked like that near the door."

There were two curtained beds near the door, one on either side of it.

"Which one?"

"On the right," the nurse said, and Naruto immediately started marching over there. "Ahh, but don't disturb anyone…"

Naruto sharply pulled open the curtains.

"Sai!"

The boy looked at him. He was sitting up in bed, hands folded over the blankets as if simply waiting to be let go. He had a big square of gauze taped over his nose, and deep bruising underneath his eyes.

Naruto grinned and scooted over between the curtain and bed to talk to him. "Sai! Sorry that you don't know who I am. It's a long story, but I'm glad to see you're ok."

"I know who you are," Sai said in his quiet, neutral voice. "But you've obviously mistaken me for someone else. I am not 'Sai'."

"Huh?" But then Naruto remembered what Kakashi had said about aliases. "Oh, what is your name, then?"

Sai stared at him for a long time. He didn't react, even as Kakashi came up to stand near the edge of the open curtain.

"I don't have a name."

Naruto's smile faded. In the future, Sai had never really explained his history in Root. Sakura told some of it, but they both claimed there was no point in telling him about something he couldn't change. That it would be impossible.

Orochimaru had—

Naruto shook his head, rejecting the thought the moment it appeared.

"Then, I'm just going to call you Sai, ok? I don't feel like making up something else. If you like it, you should think about keeping it. That'd make things a lot easier."

"I have no particular feeling about it. If I'm not mistaken, though, it would be considered strange and rude to replace your friend with someone else."

Naruto laughed. "I'm not. I can tell you about it after we get out of here, but trust me, it's definitely you."

"I'd rather not associate with you after this. You're very loud."

"And you look like a tanuki."

"I don't want to hear that from you, ugly."

Naruto beamed, and Sai blinked slowly, showing something that nearly approached surprise.

"Kakashi-sensei." Naruto looked back at him. "You gotta get Baa-chan to let this guy be on our team!"

"I don't really understand what's going on, but it wouldn't hurt for us to have a fill-in," Kakashi said.

"His jutsu really comes in handy," Naruto insisted. "He can make whatever he draws come to life somehow, and the stuff he makes can be used for messages, or scouting, and there's this bird thing he can fly on."

"That does sound useful."

"How do you know that?" Sai stared at him with his eyes a fraction wider than usual.

"I'll explain it later." Naruto waved one hand dismissively. "Just be sure to come talk to us as soon as Tsunade-baachan lets you leave. Shouldn't it be really soon?"

"She is holding the Root people back a bit longer, for various reasons," Kakashi said. "There is an investigation, as well."

The hospital room door slid open, and Sakura faltered when she saw Naruto and Kakashi standing right in front of her.

"You're awake! I was just coming to check up on you."

"Oh, hey, Sakura-chan!"

Naruto noticed Sai turn his stare on her. He suddenly got a bad feeling about letting them interact before he had the chance to explain things.

"I'm glad you're here. I've got something to ask you about." Naruto slipped into the hall, hoping Sakura and Kakashi would follow. They did. "I'm looking for someone who's probably in here. Somebody from ANBU."

"Naruto, wait—I have no idea what's going on! I didn't even know you were back." Sakura fast-walked after him and grabbed his shoulder to make him stop. "Tsunade-sama came in carrying you and I thought… well…"

Naruto grimaced. "That was her fault this time! I would have walked here on my own two feet if she'd let me."

"Really," Kakashi said.

"We came back here because of the attack," Naruto said, leaning in and talking low. "Did you hear about it? Orochimaru sneaked in underground and took out a bunch of ANBU."

"I've only heard a little bit about it. Tsunade-sama wanted me to come here and help. I thought you and Jiraiya-sama were trying to track him down."

"We were, we just caught up too late."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Why? You've been at it long enough. This was supposed to be the whole point of you leaving the village."

"Just—something else came up. Where is—"

"Was it Sasuke-kun?"

"No…" Naruto glanced at Kakashi. He couldn't explain how they'd lost the trail right now. "Listen, we need to talk to Tsunade-baachan! Do you know where she is?"

"She's upstairs, checking up on the serious cases. It's probably not a good time to bother her. We haven't found antidotes for all the poisons yet."

"That's why I need to talk to her. There's one I can give her information about."

"She's already here," Kakashi said.

Sakura turned and blinked in surprise. "Shishou!"

"Don't stand in the middle of the hallway," Tsunade said, all but pushing them into a waiting room across the hall.

"Baa-chan, I could have told you sooner if you hadn't put me to sleep—"

"Save it. What can you tell me about the poison that suppresses plant cells?"

Naruto stuck out his lip obstinately, but then responded. "It was used on me a couple of times. All it did was make it so I couldn't move, but I was still awake and could talk and stuff. But I think he's able to make stronger doses, because he also used it on moku-oji in the future and knocked him out. But I think it should wear off. There was an antidote, but I don't know how it's made."

Tsunade crossed her arms, one foot tapping on the floor. "I don't like having to wait it out, but there isn't much else we can do. Without a sample of the poison itself, making an antidote will be difficult."

"What about Sai—I mean, the kids from Root?" Naruto asked. "You're going to let them go soon, right?"

"We are a long way from getting that sorted out. Securing the village and taking care of my patients are my main concerns right now. Sakura, if you're up for it, I'd like for you and Shizune to continue working on antidotes."

"I'm up for it," Sakura said immediately, straightening her posture.

"Good." Tsunade nodded her dismissal. Sakura glanced aside at Naruto and Kakashi before leaving the room.

"As for you two," Tsunade continued, "There hasn't been an official announcement in the village about the attack. I want to delay the possibility of Akatsuki hearing about it, especially while you're in the village, Naruto. We'll continue with our original plan and have you and Jiraiya leave as soon as possible. Until then, you can stay here or at home. Either one is fine with me, as long as you don't draw attention to yourself."

Neither option was really appealing to him. "If that's how it has to be, why can't I help Ero-sennin with whatever he's doing so we can go ahead and leave?"

"They're working on security. He's coming up with ways Orochimaru might get in and formulating counter-measures for that. You should understand why you can't help."

"It's late, anyway," Kakashi said. "There won't be much news here before tomorrow, so if you think you can go home and sleep some more, Jiraiya-sama can update you on everything first thing."

"If you stay here, I'm going to make _sure_ you sleep some more," Tsunade added, with a small twist of a smile.

"Alright, I get it 'ttebayo," Naruto muttered.

It didn't feel late to him, but sure enough, when they walked through the doors, they were greeted with chilly night air and silence.

"It's still the day of the attack?" Naruto asked as they made their way out into the quiet street.

"Technically, it's the day after. Almost four AM. Do you mind if we stop at the convenience store for food?"

Naruto didn't bother to ask why Kakashi was following him all the way home, despite their homes being in different directions. Everyone had their own assignments right now, and this was clearly his.

But that was alright. Now was as good a time as any.

* * *

"Here." Kakashi walked out of the store and pushed a paper bag into Naruto's hands. "I can't say how fresh these are, but it should hold you over until breakfast."

Naruto opened the bag to find half a dozen steamed meat buns, and his stomach growled.

"Thanks!"

They walked in silence for a while.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei."

"Hm?"

"Y'know, when I was in the future…"

Naruto saw Kakashi raise his head, giving a quick but casual glance in front of and behind them.

"You shouldn't make it a habit, leading conversations with that out in the open."

"Yeah, I know." Naruto paused. "It's just, when I was there, it was a long time before I knew anything about Sasuke leaving the village. Everyone there kept making excuses about where he was. They were trying to protect me."

"That is unfortunate, but it makes sense."

"Yeah, but then I saw him, and ended up hurt a lot more. I mean, _literally_. I might have died if I hadn't been in a weird plant body."

"Sounds like you had a tough time."

Naruto contemplated his fourth meat bun for a moment, then put it back into the bag and rolled it up.

"Before that, it seemed like you were the only one who wanted to tell me about everything—the future you, I mean. I guess you thought it would be bad if I met him and still didn't know."

"If that's the case, I agree with myself."

"Anyway." Naruto let the bag swing by his side. "There's a good chance we'll run into Madara again in Kiri, so it's kind of the same thing. You really should know before anything happens."

Kakashi's step slowed, but he didn't quite falter. "I don't understand you. Is this still about Sasuke?"

"No, it's…" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Man, this is harder than I thought it was going to be. No wonder you guys never got around to it."

"If something terrible happens to me in the future, I can tell you right now that I don't want to know about it."

"No." Naruto dropped his hand. "It's not about the future. It's about the past. It's about Obito."

Kakashi stopped walking. "Who?"

"Uchiha Obito. He's the one who gave you the Sharingan eye. You told me about it in the future."

Kakashi kept looking straight ahead. "…I see. Well, it wasn't exactly a secret. But for you to bring that up now, I have a bad feeling about what it means."

"Yeah. The thing is, most people think he's dead, but he's not. He's the one pretending to be Madara. The guy chasing the bijuu."

Kakashi finally looked at Naruto. His brows were drawn together, and it looked like he was staring right through him, looking at him but not really seeing. Naruto could tell he was searching his memory, peeling back the years of pretending that nothing had ever happened and trying to fit this new information into the script.

"He's… alive? Do you know for sure that's true? True here in this world?"

"Yeah," Naruto said softly. "Orochimaru used the Time-Spanning Incarnation on him because he's able to use a type of space-time jutsu. I think Orochimaru wants to use it for himself somehow. So when Orochimaru caught me, there was a younger version of Obito there, and eventually we escaped. I also met the older version of him in the future, and the one in this time. It's definitely him."

"This is a lot to take in," Kakashi complained, pinching the bridge of his nose.

But then he fell silent. They just stood there in the street. As if Kakashi was the one whose mind was off in another dimension, and it might take ages for him to come back.

"There's something else," Naruto said, after the silence grew too uncomfortable for him. "The one who's like me, the younger Obito that Orochimaru summoned, his Sharingan abilities are different, or—developed in a different way, I don't know. We all went back home to our own times, but he's able to visit me here. And he has—lots of times. That's how I was able to get away from the fight in Kiri. Well, he sorta dragged me against my will that time."

Kakashi gave the smallest huff of laughter from his nose.

Naruto waited, but Kakashi still didn't comment. "I didn't say anything about it before because… I mean, if I hadn't seen all this stuff for myself, I wouldn't get it at all. And I just… I know he's a criminal now and part of Akatsuki, and he needs to be stopped before he can start another war. I know all that, but I also know what he's really like, and I don't want him to kill anyone else or be killed, either."

Kakashi let out a long sigh. "There's obviously a lot more to this story I'm missing. Come on, let's get out of the street."

* * *

 **Chapter 28, The House of Uchiha, will _actually_ post on October 13.**

 **I'm returning to weekly updates until I run out of advance chapters, most likely somewhere around 30 or 31. That's because I'm taking a break in November, and I want to get as many chapters out as I can ahead of that.**

 **Until next time!**


	28. The House of Uchiha

**(posted 10/10/18)**

 **I'm coming at you with another bonus update, this time by the suggestion of a lovely reviewer. Happy Naruto day! :D**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 28 | The House of Uchiha**

 **They** sat in Naruto's kitchen as the silence stretched on.

Kakashi had pulled the one kitchen chair back from the table, and he stared outside as the sky gradually shifted color. Naruto was sitting on the counter, swinging his legs now and then to keep them from falling asleep.

Naruto caught Kakashi up on everything with Obito, including the adventures he and the younger Obito had already been on since returning home.

He left out almost nothing. Only the details of his interactions with Team Minato, including their conversation about the White Fang. Judging by the younger Kakashi's reaction, it probably wouldn't help to bring that up along with everything else.

The longer Naruto talked, the quieter Kakashi became. It wasn't yet daybreak when Kakashi finally broke the awkward silence.

"So that's the real reason you thought Orochimaru might come after me. Because my eye grants access to a pocket dimension."

"Yeah."

"And the future me thinks Orochimaru could replicate the younger Obito's abilities by putting together a set of eyes from two different times."

"Something like that, I guess. If you want to ask your older self, we could probably—"

"No, thanks."

"Ehh? Why? I met my older self, and it was weird, but I still learned a lot of stuff."

Kakashi shuddered. "You told me I became Hokage. Even after I said I didn't want to find out something terrible had happened."

Naruto shook his head. "Avoid it if you want, but that's not the—"

"I think I understand the gist of it. Even now, there's no guarantee I won't become a target."

"Exactly. So I don't get why Orochimaru didn't come after you today. It would've been the perfect chance."

"If this kamui technique is really what he's after, his top choice would be Madara… Obito in this time," Kakashi said slowly. "If Orochimaru has my future self's left eye, maybe he needs the right eye to go with it."

"What do you mean?"

"With advanced Sharingan abilities, sometimes the left and right eyes work differently. For the whole thing to work best, you'd want one of each. Maybe it won't work otherwise."

Naruto thought about that for a moment. "Like when you put a battery in backward and it doesn't work."

"Those are two completely different situations."

"But if he didn't even try going after you, why did Orochimaru come here in the first place?" Naruto swung his feet higher, not caring that his heels bumped repeatedly on the cabinet doors.

Kakashi furrowed his brow. "You would know better than I would. They did say a lot of things were stolen from Root. Their leader was more than just assassinated. His body was mutilated in a way that suggests the theft of physical augmentations. Unfortunately, we don't know for sure what those were. When they tried to remove him from the site for an autopsy, it triggered a seal that destroyed all the evidence."

Naruto stopped his swinging abruptly. " _What?"_

"How Orochimaru managed to get around that trap is another unknown. Root's insularity worked against them this time. The regular ANBU weren't even aware of the breach until it was too late to stop him."

"I wish they'd told me more about Root in the future," Naruto said. "Maybe I'd be able to figure out what Orochimaru wanted."

"It isn't clear this attack had anything to do with Obito. I know that means nothing, but we can't assume he's Orochimaru's true target, either."

Naruto shook his head. "That's what Ero-sennin said, too. And you're right, but… if he gains the power to jump across dimensions, we won't be able to stop him from doing anything else."

"That's true. So? How do we stop that?"

"Old lady Mizukage wants to capture Obito and question him about Yagura. But the only way they can possibly hold him that long is by taking away his kamui. If that happens, I'm afraid that…" Naruto crossed his arms, voice becoming a mutter. "It just seems like the kind of thing Orochimaru would want."

Kakashi stared at him. "You think this entire conflict between the fake Madara and Kiri is an elaborate setup just to steal Obito's eye?"

"Not all of it! I mean, it started forever ago, obviously. I just mean this trap with a fake Sanbi."

"That doesn't make much sense. Why wouldn't he just attack Obito directly?"

Naruto shrugged with one shoulder and let his eyes drift to the ramen poster on the other side of the room. He felt sure he was right, but it was hard to explain without sounding completely off the rails.

"To make me choose."

"Choose what?"

"Who to help."

Kakashi was silent and still for a moment, as if waiting for an explanation.

"I mean, to pick a side. This has to end somehow," Naruto said. "I can't keep trying to solve everything like there's a right answer. Sometimes different doesn't mean better or worse. It's not always one thing or another."

"You don't want Kiri's plan to succeed." There was soft revelation in Kakashi's voice—no judgment, but plenty of certainty. "But I heard that you and Jiraiya-sama already agreed to help. Are you going to sabotage the plan and let him escape?"

"I don't know!" Naruto hopped down from the counter, but he didn't go anywhere. "I know the older Obito needs to be stopped, but we can't let Orochimaru get his eye. And somehow, I just think… if Kiri are the ones to capture him, he'll never change his mind. There'll be no hope of reaching him after that."

"You think there's any hope of reaching him now?" Kakashi asked quietly.

"Maybe." Naruto hesitated. "I had… sort of an idea. A way that I could save Obito _and_ make sure he can't hurt anyone else."

"Oh?"

"I'd like to tell you about it, 'cause I think you could help. But I can't. Not unless we go into kamui, where we could talk without Orochimaru listening in. That part is really important."

"I need to hurry up and figure out how to do that, then."

"The other thing is Sasuke. I don't know if it's true or not, but Orochimaru said he was still hanging around Akatsuki. If he shows up in Kiri too, that could be bad in all sorts of ways. Do you think you and Sakura-chan could come along to help out with the plan?"

"We wouldn't miss it," Kakashi said. "If the false Madara really is Obito, I want to see for myself. But I'm not sure I should listen to someone who wants me to help undermine the whole thing."

"I never said that! I can't really ask you to go against what Baa-chan and the Mizukage want. But you needed to know. And, I can't exactly be sure when the younger Obito will come back. So I thought, if there was anyone…"

"Anyone who might be willing to do something really stupid and dangerous and borderline treasonous to save a friend?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Something like that."

Kakashi eye-smiled. "I'm flattered."

* * *

Obito wiped an arm across his brow. Sure, it was still cold outside, but Hinako kept the shop excruciatingly warm, and the bolts of velvet stacked near the ceiling practically gave off their own heat. He stepped down from the ladder and gratefully grabbed the iced barley tea she had left for him on the cutting table.

Hinako came in from the front and Obito heard the bell on the door ring distantly as someone left.

"Are you sure you don't have an appointment with your team today, Obito-chan? You wouldn't want to be late again. Or maybe you'd like to go see your friends?"

"Nothing," Obito said, sighing contentedly as he put the empty glass down. "No meeting, and we're still on a really strict standby. We're not supposed to go far from our homes unless we're with Minato-sensei."

"My goodness. Sarutobi likes to overreact, doesn't he? Does he expect Iwa's fighting spirit to come back from the dead after Minato-kun sent them running? Not likely."

"It's fine. If the only option is supervised team drills, I'd rather be here. You know I don't have any friends under fifty, anyway."

At least, not in this world. Obito pressed his fingertips into the cool glass and turned it around absently, watching the ice cubes tumble to the bottom.

Truthfully, he wanted to go check up on Kabuto and Naruto, but it would cause serious problems if the Hokage called them and he was gone. Plus, Minato had sort of assigned him to find out who wanted him promoted. So for now, Obito was stuck.

He would go see them in an instant otherwise. Definitely.

"Now, you know that's not true," Hinako scolded, sidling behind her table and unrolling a bolt of cloth. Obito picked up his glass and hurriedly swiped at the ring of water left behind.

"What isn't?"

"I know you're friends with those kids on your team, and Minato-kun adores you. You're a charming young man, so don't put yourself down like that! And what about the friend you brought over a while back? You still haven't told me anything about him."

Obito winced. This was the problem with Hina-baa. She acted like an absentminded old lady, but she had once been a spy during the First _and_ Second Wars. And before that, she'd been the type of child prodigy the Uchiha clan was famous for producing.

If she didn't already know every one of Obito's secrets, it was only because she didn't try. The key was giving her no reason to start trying.

"If you'd seen the look on the clan head's face, you wouldn't want to be invited back here either," Obito said. "I'm amazed Kushina-san can hang out with Mikoto all the time and not care."

"That Uzumaki girl is a force of nature," Hinako agreed. "Then again, they usually are. Losing them was the biggest mistake of our era, you mark me. Why, back when I was in the war—"

"Yeah, I know," Obito said, slightly panicked he might have set off another three-hour-long war story. "Secret missions, hot springs, lots of beautiful women, et. cetera."

"Oh, dearie. If only you could stay sweet and bashful forever."

"That's not—"

The bell on the front door chimed, and Hinako immediately scurried out to the front of the shop.

Obito put his glass down into the deep linen sink. He turned around curiously when he noticed the tone of Hinako's voice. He could always tell what kind of customer it was based on how she greeted them. Right now, she sounded high-pitched and polite. A male voice rumbled in response.

Obito ducked underneath the curtain separating the two rooms.

His insides turned to ice when he saw Fugaku standing inside the shop.

It didn't look like he was on a shopping trip. He was in his police uniform, and wasn't bothering to look around at any of the display clothes.

His eyes flicked to Obito immediately when he came in.

"Your team is on standby for a few more days," Fugaku said. It wasn't a question.

Obito hesitated, then nodded. "It's mainly Minato-sensei, but yeah."

"I understand that Mikoto has invited you to our home. Would that be allowed under your orders?" Fugaku sounded like he didn't particularly care if it was allowed or not.

Obito cast a confused glance at Hinako, who was standing behind Fugaku. She raised a gray brow and waved her hand in a gesture that, for just a split second, looked like she was flipping the Clan Head off.

Must have been his imagination.

"I think so," Obito said awkwardly. "I'm not jumping at the chance or anything. It's nice of her, but I'm sure you'd rather not—"

"It seems to me that you have nothing better to do this week. Should I tell her you've unequivocally declined?"

"Unawhat? No, I didn't mean that," Obito said quickly.

"Good. Then tomorrow should work for everyone. If you could arrive by six o'clock, that would be best."

"Um… okay."

Fugaku turned to leave, acknowledging Hinako with a nod. She called sweetly after him, "Come again! I hope you'll think of me when Itachi-chan graduates. Class photos are for life!"

The door jingled to a close as the Clan Head left.

"Hina-baa, I don't think that kid's in school yet."

"It's never too early to gain a new customer."

"What the hell was that about?" Obito muttered under his breath.

* * *

Obito arrived on time, despite not knowing if he was going to show up at all until he was there.

Unfortunately, the only alternative he saw was to run away and never return to this village, or maybe even to this world.

That was how he ended up at the door of the Head Family at precisely six o'clock the next day.

Obito tugged at the hem of his usual jacket nervously. Hinako had tried convincing him to wear formal attire, but he'd received a pigeon that morning saying they would be meeting informally in the family home.

Fine by him. Obito supposed he was not an important enough guest to see the meeting halls or other outer buildings that made up the Head Family's estate.

He stood there awkwardly for a minute, wondering what would be the best way to announce his presence, when the door slid open.

"Welcome to our house, Obito-nii." Itachi beamed up at him.

"Oh, hey, little guy." Obito held out his hand, and this time Itachi accepted it, shaking his hand like it was a very important task he'd been assigned.

"Okaasan says you can come in now, so follow me."

"Okay."

Itachi turned and hopped up the step into the house. He waited while Obito left his sandals at the door, but Obito could sense the child's excitement. He probably wanted to run down the hall, but was holding himself back for the sake of propriety.

"Where's your dad, Itachi-kun?" Obito asked, looking around as they walked.

"He is still working, but he said he would be here later."

Obito wasn't sure whether to be relieved or stressed. He hoped he wouldn't have to stay that long.

Itachi led him to a surprisingly small, surprisingly _normal_ kitchen. It didn't even have a separate room for dining. The low rectangular table already had settings placed.

"Go ahead and have a seat, Obito," Mikoto said. "I hope you don't mind omelet rice. Itachi asks for it every day of the week lately."

"It's fine, I like that stuff." Obito sat down across from Itachi, who was openly staring at him again.

There were only three places set. This was not at all what Obito expected. It felt a lot like being asked over to a friend's house after school. Not that he had much experience with that first hand.

"Um… Mikoto-san, if you don't mind me asking… what is all this about?" Obito turned around just as she was shaking some kind of seasoning over their plates. He had to admit, the omelets smelled delicious.

"You can call me Mikoto, if you want. Here, watch your head." She came over and put a steaming plate down in front of him. There was a smiley face drawn in ketchup on the omelet. Itachi's had the same thing, and his Uchiha-black eyes lit up at the sight of it.

"Well," Mikoto started as she put down her own plate and sat down beside her son, "I thought you wouldn't be comfortable if we made a fuss, so I convinced Fugaku to let you come in on a normal day."

"Thanks," Obito said, and he meant it. "But I mean, yesterday when he came by—it was weird. Sorry, but it kind of felt like I had no choice but to show up. Does this have something to do with my promotion?"

Mikoto hummed as if unsure of what to say, and reached to help Itachi break up his omelet with a spoon. "Yes. You don't have anything to worry about, though. It isn't official yet, right?"

"I don't even know if Sandaime-sama has accepted it yet."

Besides, what did that mean? Everything would be fine as long as it didn't go through? That was bullshit.

"And so what?" Obito couldn't stop himself from saying. "What's wrong with me becoming jounin? I may be an Uchiha, but it's not up to the clan head. He's not Hokage."

Mikoto shook her head. "You've misunderstood Fugaku's intention. I know that's easy to do sometimes, so I'm sorry for that. You really have nothing to worry about."

"Then, what is it?"

"He wants to talk to you himself. Now, eat up before it gets cold, alright?" Mikoto smiled with such genuine warmth that Obito could feel some of his indignation fade.

"Well, whatever. Thanks for the food."

The food tasted as good as it smelled. Once Obito started digging in, it was almost easy to forget that he hadn't wanted to come here. He listened to Mikoto talk about Itachi starting at the Academy in the fall and some cousin who had recently gotten married. By the time they finished eating, Obito was so relaxed and comfortable that it was a jolt to his veins when he heard the clack of the front door opening.

Itachi immediately looked up at Mikoto hopefully, and she gave a small shake of her head.

"Clean up your plate first, and let tou-chan talk to Obito-nii for a while."

Itachi looked disappointed, but he stood up and dutifully took his plate to the sink.

Obito and Mikoto also stood up. Obito wasn't sure what he should be doing, so he took a half step forward, opened his mouth, closed it again, then let his arms swing by his sides in a way that was meant to be casual, but failed completely.

"I'm home." Fugaku appeared in the doorway.

"Welcome back," Mikoto said with a smile. She and Itachi were both looking at Fugaku in a way that made Obito question his grasp on objective reality. He hadn't accidentally warped to another universe in his sleep, right? The kid looked like his dad had personally invented puppies and cotton candy.

Fugaku nodded at Obito. "I'd like a quick word with you before you leave."

There it was. He seemed to have timed his arrival to right before Obito thought of heading out the door. Fugaku turned and Obito followed, finding it took a conscious effort to make his legs bend.

 _What's the worst that could happen?_ he tried to tell himself. Fugaku wasn't going to cut him down with his wife and kid in the house. At least, not over something as petty as this. He probably just wanted to ask Obito what he knew.

They walked outside and along a veranda that led to another building. It was a training hall, pleasantly filled with natural light from the slatted windows. Obito imitated Fugaku's quick bow and walked in, looking around warily. Was he planning on starting a fight?

"I'm sure you must be wondering why I brought you here." Fugaku didn't sit down, nor did he offer Obito the chance to. Instead, he turned to stand facing him with hands clasped behind his back.

"I'm guessing you heard about someone recommending me for jounin. But look, I didn't ask anybody to do that. Even if I had, I don't see how it's any of your business—"

"No. I was the one who recommended you."

Obito choked. He had been completely ready to argue his case, but now everything he had thought of to say disappeared.

Fugaku continued. "First, I will remind you that a decision has not been made yet. I asked the Sandaime to keep the details between us until I had the chance to discuss it with you in person."

"Why?" was all Obito could think to say.

"There have been signs—tells, rumors, things that do not add up—all indicating that you came home from Kumo with something more than just a few scars."

Obito tightened his fists down by his sides. He wanted to ask 'so what?', but for all he knew, Fugaku was just trying to trick him into giving something away. He stayed silent.

"Traditionally, unless they are a suspect in a crime, no one is _required_ to confess to their doujutsu or the powers it grants. It's one of the few old rights we have left. But it does seem odd for someone with your disposition to hide it."

"Either way, that can't be why you recommended me. Lots of people with the Sharingan aren't jounin," Obito pointed out.

"And you may not be jounin material. That is what I would like to know. If you don't want the rank, you're free to walk away now and keep your secrets. Minato seems content to allow that, at least."

"So you don't really mean your recommendation? You're just trying to find out if I have the Sharingan or not? Seems like a waste of time."

"I can only think of two reasons why both of you would purposely hide it. Either making your abilities public would put you at a risk or strategic disadvantage, or they're such an embarrassment to you that you'd rather continue pretending not to have it." Fugaku let his arms fall down to his sides. "Tell me, are the rumors of a space-time jutsu true, or is it just some parlor trick?"

Obito's heart thumped. He didn't need to ask how Fugaku had figured it out. Even though he'd almost always used kamui at home, at night, he'd made a lot of mistakes too. Bringing in Naruto. Casually showing off his powers to entertain the elders. Teleporting in broad daylight before the most recent mission.

"I knew your family, and none of them ever had that sort of power. If it's true, you would be the hawk born of a kite." Fugaku seemed prepared to continue his speech for as long as it took to get an answer out of him. "It does happen sometimes. Unique Sharingan abilities have developed from stresses far beyond the usual requirement, or other environmental factors. Trauma, a strong desire to escape, or wanting to possess a particular power are all things that can affect how it develops."

Obito remembered to breathe. So Fugaku didn't know about the time travel. Like everyone else, he thought it all went back to Kumo. Of course he did. The truth was so impossible, only someone like Orochimaru would think of it.

Obito looked down at the floor, hoping his obvious nerves would help his acting. "You're right. I always wanted to hurry up and awaken my Sharingan. I just didn't know what it would cost."

Fugaku didn't show any sympathy. "If you have gained a unique power, you should avenge yourself by learning to properly utilize it. I can help you do that."

Obito looked back up. "I don't understand why you'd want to help me, much less give me a promotion."

"If you don't even understand that, we have a long way to go. But the point is moot unless you truly have that power. So, is this space-time jutsu real, or not?"

Obito dropped his gaze again. It was bound to get out eventually. As long as no one knew about the other worlds, it didn't really matter. And it would be a relief to be able to use kamui out in the open.

"Yeah. It's real."

Fugaku's eyes flared red. Obito tensed.

Before he knew what was happening, the Clan Head had drawn a kunai and thrown it at him. It sailed straight through his body and embedded into the wall. Fugaku moved toward him and Obito took a quick, reflexive step backward—only to catch his heel on a hidden wire and fall to the ground.

Obito rolled over and jumped to his feet, but Fugaku had already deactivated his eyes and was walking around. He pulled the kunai out of the wall.

"So, you can use it without activating the Sharingan. No wonder you were able to hide it so easily." Fugaku put the kunai back into a holster on his leg and turned around to him. "And it responds instantly to anything you can perceive, but hidden traps are a potential weakness. For now, I suggest improving your observation skills to maximize your capabilities. You can't rely on natural gifts alone."

In under two seconds, Fugaku had picked Obito's ability apart enough start _lecturing_ him on how to do it better.

"It is good you have the option of stealth, but in a real combat situation, the Sharingan will enhance your ability to perceive and react quickly. Physical training will be necessary to ensure your body can keep up—"

"What's with you, anyway?" Obito interrupted, unable to take the verbal barrage anymore. "For most of my life you act like I'm something stuck to the bottom of your shoe, but now you want to plan a whole training program for me? I don't want your help."

"You will need my help if you want to hone your doujutsu enough to rise through the ranks. Right now, you don't have the skills to become a full jounin. Are you content to leave things that way?"

"No, but I don't think you want to help me for free, either. What's in it for you?"

Fugaku sighed. "Let me make it clear: I don't like you. I think you are an idiot, which is even worse than being disrespectful, another of your more prominent traits."

Obito felt his face reddening. "Then I guess we don't have anything else to talk about here."

"But you have the potential to become strong, which supersedes everything else. That was the only thing missing to place you in an ideal position."

"What do you mean?" Obito asked, despite knowing it would make him look even more like an idiot.

"It is widely believed the Sandaime will make Minato his successor. If that happens, you will be well-placed to become Hokage yourself someday."

Obito stood straighter. "So you're saying—"

"You need a lot of shaping up for that to happen. But if you can do that, you would be a candidate of immense value. You are an Uchiha, but one who can become popular with those loyal to the Third. A continuation of Konoha's master-student tradition, a war orphan and a war hero, someone with a more—approachable disposition than we are known for. Thanks to Minato and your new abilities, you may stand an even better chance than Shisui."

"Wouldn't you rather have it for yourself? Or your son?"

"I am head of the Uchiha clan. If I were anything but that, perhaps it would be possible. As for my son… that of course remains to be seen. He is still only a child."

 _This guy…_

Fugaku was dead serious about getting an Uchiha under the hat. Obito had no idea if his motivation was a desire for peace or for control, but either way, he was able to put aside his own dislike of Obito to reach that goal. There was something oddly respectable about that.

At least it was honest.

* * *

 **Chapter 29, An Assigned Respite, will (for real this time) post on October 13.**


	29. An Assigned Respite

**(posted 10/13/18)**

 **CHAPTER 29 | An Assigned Respite**

 **Obito** stayed silent for several seconds more after Fugaku explained his reasons for reaching out. He tried to process what the Clan Head was saying.

To hear that he thought Obito could be Hokage someday was strange enough. But he was also offering to—what? Pull strings for him? Or just butt into his training?

"I want to become Hokage," Obito finally said. "But not to make the Uchiha look good or to make people like you happy. I don't want to be someone who can't do anything on their own. I don't want to owe you."

"It's good to have that sort of conviction," Fugaku said. "But it is normal for the old clans to train internally, especially when it comes to their trademark abilities. Minato is a more than adequate instructor, but only another Uchiha can teach you how to use your Sharingan abilities to their fullest."

"And you're the one volunteering?"

"I am. Not because I'm particularly fond of your company, but because I believe you have a chance."

Obito was not sure how to respond to that. Fugaku took his silence as an invitation to continue.

"How many tomoe have you developed in each eye so far?"

"Three in each," Obito said grudgingly.

One for every moment he thought he and Naruto would die if he didn't do something.

The first time, Orochimaru had taken control of Naruto and induced a Kyuubi rampage.

The second was when the base collapsed on them and Obito had to use kamui to escape.

The third, when they fell from a hundreds-of-feet precipice with sharp rocks waiting below.

Their time in the future had been stressful, to put it mildly.

Fugaku raised his brows. "Show me."

Obito hesitated, but he knew there was no point in hiding now. He closed his eyes and opened them again slowly, taking in the training hall through the altered colors and slight superimposed effect the Sharingan gave him. The training hall was free of distracting clutter, but now he knew that if he took another few steps to either side, he'd end up stumbling over a wire again. Obito's eyes tracked Fugaku crossing his arms almost automatically.

"Good. You can already activate it without making any signs or movements," Fugaku said. "I'll give you time to discuss your promotion with Minato if you want to. I will withdraw my recommendation if you decide not to train with me; however, you will not be given the usual time penalty, and can be recommended by Minato or another jounin immediately afterward. It's simply that, if I stake my name on you, it will be my responsibility to ensure you are up to that level."

Obito closed his eyes again, squeezing them shut, as if he could press the right decision into his brain.

"Minato-sensei said I might only be able to get tokubetsu jounin. That my base skills still need to be leveled up."

"That is also what I think. But that title would allow you many of the same privileges. This war has dragged on for so long that even young captains are leading their own missions."

Obito blinked. Something shook loose inside his memory. A plan. One he'd thought up with no idea how to make it work.

"Do you know how we're trying to beat Kiri right now?" he asked.

Fugaku raised a brow, but he answered. "Given the success of the recent Iwa assault, it wouldn't surprise me if the Hokage tried something similar against them. Especially if this war continues for much longer."

"But what if Kiri decides to use the Sanbi?"

Fugaku's posture stiffened. "They would not dare. They know Konoha is in possession of the Kyuubi, and that it is hidden and well-guarded. Why? Do you know something we don't?"

"Nothing like that." Obito shook his head quickly. "I think I remember hearing some people in Kumo talking about Kiri, that's all. But I guess that's part of the reason so many Uchiha have been sent out."

Fugaku looked skeptical, but he nodded. "Yes, a bijuu on the battlefield against the Uchiha would be less effective. But that has been far from our strategic focus. No one has broken that agreement yet." He watched Obito carefully. "Do _you_ believe Kiri will use it?"

"I… don't know," Obito said, and that was at least partially true. He couldn't know anything for sure, not after he'd already altered the war.

He teetered on the edge of telling Fugaku his idea to steal the Sanbi. But if other people knew—even if they approved of the idea—there was no guarantee Obito would be the one they'd send. And it was vital that he be he one.

Only he could take it away some place where both Konoha _and_ the Sanbi would be safe. He knew that was what Naruto would want, and it was the best defense they had against Madara's plans.

Finally he said, "I just hope the war ends before they get desperate enough to try it."

* * *

Naruto had fallen asleep at some point, and because no one bothered waking him, he ended up sleeping through most of the day. It has already past three in the afternoon when he rolled out of bed.

He immediately devoured the leftover meat buns cold from the bag in the fridge. Then he got dressed and stood by his door for a moment, listening carefully for any sounds in the hall. If Tsunade wanted him to avoid being seen, he could manage it. Just so long as he made it back to the hospital to check up on everyone.

Satisfied after several seconds of impatient silence, Naruto pulled open his door—only to be met with somebody's back blocking the way.

"Oi! What're you doing?"

The man turned around, and Naruto quickly saw that it was an ANBU. The ANBU held a finger up to the lips of the mask to gesture for silence, then jerked his chin up, gesturing inside the apartment.

Naruto took several wary steps backward as the ANBU came into his apartment and closed the door quietly behind him.

"Sorry, but I'm here to prevent you from leaving, Naruto-kun," the ANBU said. "Tsunade-sama would prefer that you stay home for now. She says you and Jiraiya-sama will continue your journey the moment all the new security measures are in place."

"Where is Kakashi-sensei?"

"Other than not here? I do not know. You are the one I have been assigned to watch."

The extreme distaste must have been visible on Naruto's face, because the ANBU added, "I don't fully understand your situation, but I was told to answer any of your questions, and not be surprised by what you already know. I'll do my best."

"Yeah? Who are you?" Naruto said skeptically.

The ANBU hesitated for only a second before lifting off his mask.

"Moku-oji!" Naruto yelped. He was so relieved to see him awake and unharmed that he gave the tall ANBU a hug.

"…Yes, well…" Tenzou stepped back, carefully disentangling himself. "Tsunade-sama said you are partly responsible for me being awake now. Once she was certain the poison was not deadly, they were able to take more aggressive measures to remove it. It's not as good as an antidote, but at least I'm not unconscious in bed."

"Are you okay? Shouldn't you be resting right now?" Naruto asked, brow furrowed.

"I can move around just fine… but that's about it. It may take some time to regain full control over my chakra. So please, don't try any stunts."

Gratitude welled up in Naruto's heart. Tsunade's orders sounded stern, but she trusted him enough to send him the exact answers he wanted. Tenzou, in turn, trusted his Hokage enough to admit weakness to someone he didn't really know.

"Okay, I get it, thanks," Naruto said. He turned to walk out of his tiny foyer. "Do you know how long I'll have to stay here?"

Tenzou followed him, noticeably relieved. "A few more days, I think. Your team will be able to visit here to keep you company at careful intervals. As of today, your neighbors will be put up in a hotel under the pretense of emergency gas line maintenance."

"What? Is it that big a deal for people to know I'm here?" Naruto flopped down at the low table in his living room. "Does this have to do with those guys that followed us to Kiri before?"

"No." Tenzou remained standing, arms crossed. "That situation was manipulated by Root, which no longer exists in any meaningful way."

" _They_ did that?"

Tenzou sighed and ran a hand through his cropped hair. Naruto recognized his look of exasperation very well. "We're more concerned about Akatsuki. You know, the criminal group that has specifically targeted you numerous times."

"Yeah, but—"

"Regardless of the protections we're putting in place, we know there's at least one member of Akatsuki who can appear wherever he wants. We don't want the slightest hint of you being here to get out."

Naruto leaned back, bracing his weight on his palms. "I don't really want him or any of the others to show up here, either. So if I can't stay, I'd rather hurry up and leave. I hate being cooped up."

"I'm sure Jiraiya-sama is doing his best."

They were running out of time. Akatsuki was important, but the way things were going, the older Obito was going to get caught by _someone_. Kiri or Orochimaru.

"Hey, when are the Chuunin Exams in Suna happening?" Naruto let his head fall backward to look upside-down at Tenzou.

"The very beginning of April, I believe. Four or five weeks from now. I've heard some participants have already traveled there so they can train in the desert climate."

"So like, the teams from Kiri?"

"I don't know which ones exactly, but that would make sense, given how different the climate is there. Why do you ask?" Tenzou looked puzzled.

That was right. Very few people were in on the plan, and it didn't look like Tsunade was including Tenzou for right now.

"Uh… I don't know." Naruto shrugged. "I'm not going to be there, so I'm hoping Neji and Shikamaru and everyone else can keep making friends with them."

"If they want to, they will. That's what the joint Exams are for."

"Here, I'm bored. Since you're stuck with me, do you wanna play cards or something?" Naruto flopped backward without moving from his spot and swiped at the small console that held his TV. He sat up with a pack of cards in hand and gave Tenzou a challenging grin. "Come on, I've played against ANBU before. You're not that scary."

Tenzou shook his head, but sat down at the table anyway. "As long as you don't cheat like Kakashi-senpai does."

* * *

The next day, Obito was not thrilled when he received a message requesting his presence at the main house again. He hadn't exactly agreed to anything, but it seemed Fugaku was already taking charge of his training.

"He is right about one thing, dear," Hinako said as Obito stood near the door with the message in his hands. "You're one of the best chances we have of producing a Hokage this generation. If Minato-kun is next, his students will have an advantage. And that Hatake boy is talented, to be sure, but his family shame is much fresher in people's minds than ours is."

Obito looked away. He bad-mouthed Kakashi all the time, but it made him uncomfortable to hear someone else talk about him like that. As if anything he achieved would have a stain on it.

Obito folded the small paper and feigned putting it in his pocket, subtly passing it along to Kabuto. "Kakashi would do a better job than me right now. Besides, Rin's on our team, too."

"Ha! Who ever heard of a medic Kage?"

"Wasn't the Shodai—"

"Yes, yes, but no one remembers him for that." Hinako waved a dismissive hand.

"I'm not the closest out of the three of us. I still haven't done anything really useful in the war."

"Where is this coming from, Mr. War Hero?" Hinako exclaimed. "There's a difference between appropriate humility and self-degradation."

Obito leaned on the door and looked out to the street. "I want to become Hokage on my own merits, not because of who I know or because I fell into a situation I had to be rescued from anyway."

Hinako's expression softened. "And you will. But if you have an opportunity to become stronger, don't turn it down out of pride. I'm sure even Minato-kun would agree there are some things only the Uchiha can teach you. For even the basics, we have our own way. You haven't trained with us since you left the Academy."

Obito scoffed. "I just wish it didn't have to be _him_."

"And I wish you wouldn't hang around moping all day, yet here we are. If you're going to plaster your face to the door, at least write my hours of operation on it."

Obito grimaced. "Alright, Hina-baa. I'll go get ready." He pushed off from the door and left out the side door instead, into the narrow passage that led up to his apartment.

He was instructed to go directly to the training hall this time. Even though he took great care to avoid being late, Fugaku was waiting when he arrived. The Clan Head was sitting on the veranda, dressed in a gi and hakama, looking out on a courtyard that had targets and other training implements in it.

Obito glanced over the setup and stopped several feet away from Fugaku.

"I haven't agreed to anything yet, you know. You said I could talk to Minato-sensei first."

"Did you?"

"No," Obito said crossly.

"No. As it turns out, you can't, because Minato is not here right now."

Obito's annoyance faded into confusion. "He's not?"

"Nothing to be concerned about. The Sandaime simply decided to send him back alone to trace the Iwa deserters, to see if they went home after supposedly being exiled."

It took Obito several seconds to understand what Fugaku meant. "You mean, to find out if the Tsuchikage tried to have Minato-sensei killed after the surrender."

"Perhaps."

Given what had happened, Obito doubted their motives were anything like that. But it did make him uneasy knowing one of the shinobi responsible for his 'death' had escaped—and that he'd seen way too much.

Fugaku watched Obito thoughtfully. "But the initial report suggests they fled in the opposite direction and stayed rather steadily on our border, perhaps heading toward Water."

"Oh. I… I guess that makes sense, doesn't it? Minato-sensei can't follow them there."

"He tagged some of them during the initial fight, but the rest got away by leaving the bodies of those unfortunates as bait. He'll continue trying a while longer, but the trail is likely lost by now. It will be harder for him to make any moves once they cross the border."

"Was that the real reason we were told to stay at home? Because sensei had this secret mission?"

"It would seem so." Fugaku was still studying Obito as if he was a riddle to be solved. "Just out of curiosity, how would you choose to handle this situation, if the decision was in your hands?"

Obito shifted from one foot to the other. He couldn't tell if this was a pop quiz for the sake of training, or if Fugaku was digging for something else.

"I don't think the Tsuchikage had anything to do with it. The lead guy who attacked us was just mad because he got beat by kids. They all tried to run away when sensei showed up, so I really don't think they were after him."

"So, if you were in Minato's place right now, you would let them go?"

Obito inhaled sharply. "No. I'd—I'd take them back and let their own people deal with them."

"Assuming they could be found."

"If not… do something that could be blamed on them, so they couldn't get help from Kiri."

Fugaku finally looked back at the yard, allowing Obito to feel a little less like a bug pinned to a board. "I see. So you do have some ability to think strategically. Is it true you are able to phase your entire body through solid objects?"

Obito made a face. "Did somebody see me doing that?"

"Your abilities would be well suited to espionage, but I'm afraid your personality is not. How well could you do with simply gathering information, unseen?"

"Like what? We do missions like that sometimes… scouting and scanning for mines, stuff like that." Even as he said it, Obito got the sense that Fugaku meant something else entirely.

"For example, do you think you could make your way into Water without being seen, find out where and how the Sanbi is contained, and whether they intend to use it?"

"I—are you joking?"

"I'm asking for an honest self-assessment."

Obito curled his hands into fists. "Yeah, I think I could. But I doubt you or anyone else would agree with me on that."

"Hn." Fugaku actually smiled a little. "Then, without having agreed upon anything yet, let's find out what you can do." He stood up from the edge of the porch and walked out into the sun.

Obito stood there a while longer, hesitating to take the first step down. It felt like he was edging into something he couldn't quite grasp, something that could end terribly or end well, but was irreversible either way.

It was the same feeling he'd had when Naruto stood in his way, telling him to let the enemy live. A sense that this moment split the future into two outcomes: one where he said yes, and one where he said no.

"Alright," Obito said.

Fugaku stopped and looked back. "Alright, what?"

"I'll accept the promotion, if you let me do exactly what you just said. I'll do it."

* * *

Despite Tenzou's assurances, Naruto and Jiraiya ended up staying in Konoha five more days. It was almost as bad as when he had been confined to the hospital. Only Tenzou, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Sakura were able to visit. Naruto asked Kakashi what was going to happen with Sai and Root several times, but the investigation was ongoing and their statuses were still unclear.

"Eventually, they will be integrated into the regular forces. I told Tsunade-sama I wouldn't mind taking on Sai," Kakashi assured him. "And I've been visiting him, too, to find out more about his training and jutsu. He'll answer a direct question, but he never offers anything on his own."

The one good thing was it gave them time to catch Sakura up on the details—mostly. Kakashi still didn't seem eager to talk about Obito, but she understood that the fake Madara was someone from his former class.

The two of them would be skipping the Exams to assist in the operation.

Jiraiya only stopped by one time, on the last day. Naruto peppered him with questions about how much longer it would take and when they would be able to leave.

To his surprise, Jiraiya just laughed it off and said they would leave the very next evening.

Worse, Jiraiya acted like they were just leaving to go on a training trip. It was as if their job was done, now that the very first countermeasure against Akatsuki had begun.

But if Kiri planned to trap Tobi while many people were away at the Exams, Naruto only had a little time to intercept him and—at the very least—warn him about Orochimaru's eye-stealing ambitions.

Naruto told Jiraiya as much when they left, minutes after they met at the gate and started off down the path.

"What? You still want us to go after the fake Madara now? How do you plan on convincing him not to go after the bijuu anymore?"

"I don't know if I can. And I won't tell him what Kiri is doing. I just think, if I can get the chance to talk to him—"

"Talk to him?" Jiraiya shook his head. "You want to talk to the guy who would most like to kill you. What, do you plan on telling him about Orochimaru while he's busy separating your soul from your body?"

Naruto knew Jiraiya was joking, but he still scowled. "I told you, he's not gonna kill me anytime soon. And I know how to get away from him if it comes to that. If it goes wrong, I'd rather you leave me and get away."

"Or we could not? We could focus on training for the big confrontation instead. I'd even be alright with tracking Sasuke. But let's worry about saving Madara _after_ we've got him."

Naruto abruptly stepped off the path and into the woods.

"Oi, where are you going? You can't get away from me that easily."

Naruto didn't go far. He stopped among the trees and put his hand on the rough bark of a large trunk.

"Ah. You want to try that again while we're here?"

"My dad said I should stop thinking I have to do everything exactly the same as the other me." Naruto patted the tree trunk. "I'm like Obito, right? I got my new power on the other side, so it didn't turn out exactly the same. Even sennin jii-chan thinks my energy works better with plants than with the toad oil. I want to see how far that goes."

"Intriguing," Jiraiya said. "And worth a try. Maybe a different method was what you needed all along. Let's see what you've got."

Naruto closed his eyes. He remembered what it felt like to use the trees to find Itachi.

The forest surrounding the village was a single living entity with a thousand eyes and millions of fingers reaching above and below. When he traced the energy down into the earth, it moved so quickly that it was disorienting, so Naruto tried to focus only on the area around them.

Even with his eyes closed, he could see Jiraiya standing behind him, the exact way he had his arms crossed with one wooden sandal slightly in front of the other.

Naruto opened his eyes and looked around. The lightweight feeling of Sage Mode coiled in his muscles. It had taken less than a minute with the tree's help.

"Nobody is near here on the outside. I guess Baa-chan really put everything on lockdown again."

"Naruto," Jiraiya said suddenly. "Do you think your plant-based Sage Mode takes energy _from_ them, or just uses them like a Natural Energy drinking straw?"

Naruto looked at the tree, afraid it might have been damaged, but it looked completely fine. No—there was something strange. Moss had grown on the surface of the tree in the perfect shape of a handprint. He put his hand over it.

"See if you can channel energy back into it."

Naruto gave Jiraiya a puzzled look, but then closed his eyes and imagined energy flowing back into the tree.

His eyes flew open at the sound of a loud wooden crack. The tree was expanding, growing upward at a rate quick enough to see. The bark grew thick around his hand, and Naruto withdrew it in barely enough time to avoid getting trapped.

Naruto looked down at his palms.

In the future, he'd been able to do things like make vines grow out of his body. It was never something that was under his control—usually it was just a reaction to Kurama's chakra leaking out—but right now, he'd just made a tree grow while staying completely himself.

He tried to mold the Sage energy to make something come out of his hands, but nothing happened. His skin didn't so much as crinkle.

Jiraiya seemed to know what he was thinking. "To me, it looks like you've fed the plant cells that were already there. Your real body doesn't have any plant cells inside of it, so you can't use the _mokuton_. The trees just seem to really like your chakra. Right energy, wrong body."

"Still, maybe there's a way I could use this!" Naruto said excitedly.

"Maybe it means you've gained the corresponding elements. But if not, I can still think of one use for it."

"What?"

Jiraiya went through a series of hand seals too quickly for Naruto to catch them all, but he was able to guess it was some kind of _suiton_. Jiraiya drew an oval shape in midair with his index finger and a reflective surface appeared inside the shape, dripping water around the edges.

"Is this—"

"Something I picked up from our fight with the Fourth Mizukage. I haven't been able to weaponize it yet, but it comes in handy for checking your looks on the run."

"So while I've been training and meditating and doing all sorts of stuff, you've been coming up with ways to check yourself out?"

"Just look in the damn mirror before it melts, alright?"

Naruto came over to peer cautiously into the mirror. He expected to see the usual features of his Sage Mode—a puffed-out face, globular eyes with a watery blue iris, and just a dusting of orange on his eyelids.

But this time, what caught his attention immediately was the golden color of his eyes, and no puffiness anywhere.

Naruto felt of his face, his heart threatening to rise up and choke him. His completed Sage Mode was _awesome_ , but it was also _wrong._

Even though the golden color was right, his irises were still round, instead of the flat toad-like ones his older self had. But even more dramatic was the thick orange lines over his eyes. They extended into his hairline and down past his jaw and neck, bisecting his whisker marks and growing thinner toward the ends. Naruto pulled down his collar and saw that they ended in curled points below his collarbone, coiling in opposite directions.

"It's not supposed to be like this." He reached to touch the mirror, as if he could confirm what it was showing him that way, but it melted at his touch and dripped down to the ground.

"Don't worry. Remember what you said before? The Mode usually manifests differently for everyone anyway, so it's not hard to imagine it could be different for the same person under different circumstances. Don't you think it looks somewhat like mine?"

"Maybe. Yeah."

 _Let go of that image of yourself._

"Alright!" Naruto said abruptly, snapping himself out of his shock. "If Baa-chan wants us to clear out, we won't waste any time. We were on the way to Oto, right?"

"Right, but it's pretty clear now that Orochimaru is on the move. He seems to have abandoned that place. We might be able to dig up something, but probably not a lot. If you want to train, there are better—"

"I'll race you there!"

"Wha? You can't make it all the way there in one—"

Naruto grinned and jumped up into the trees.

"Okay. If that's how it's going to be, fine." Jiraiya cracked his knuckles and tilted his head back and forth. He bent his knees and launched forward.

* * *

 **Chapter 30, Hollow Sound, will post October 20. Till then!**


	30. Hollow Sound

**[posted 10/20/18]**

 **CHAPTER 30 | Hollow Sound**

 **Jiraiya** was right: they did not make it all the way to the Sound village without stopping. But he was also wrong, because they _could_ have.

Naruto's Sage Mode ran out halfway there, which was still an impressive distance by any estimation. After that, the lead he'd maintained over Jiraiya was reduced to nothing, and they had just crossed over into the Sound when Naruto stopped to catch his breath.

"What, stopping already?" Jiraiya feigned surprise. "We aren't there yet. We're only back to where we started."

"I wanted to see… if I could have make it back faster." Naruto sat down on the cold grass, then flopped backward. He was breathing hard and his skin prickled, but the all-out exertion felt nice after days indoors.

"It still wouldn't have been fast enough." Jiraiya sat down cross-legged beside him.

"Yeah, I know."

"I guess we'll stop soon," Jiraiya said after a moment of companionable silence. They had burned through the evening, and it was already night. "Hopefully you wore yourself out enough to get back to sleeping like a normal person."

"I can sleep anywhere, anytime."

"Don't I know it. Sleep anywhere, and eat anything. So what's our next move? By that I mean, something that doesn't involve having a chat with Madara."

"Let's go to the town we went before, where that informant guy was." Naruto stretched out on the ground and then let out a wheeze. "Ahh, I'm _starving_."

They went the rest of the way at a slower pace. Though they were not going to the Hidden Village itself just yet, crossing over into the Land of Sound always meant an extra layer of caution.

This town was one they had stopped at a handful of times before—it was from there that Jiraiya had initially decided to take them further east along the coast. Whenever they went there, they hid their shinobi gear and wore threadbare mantles over their clothes to avoid standing out. Not exactly a disguise, but it gave no one a reason to hassle them.

It was never a problem because the people there tended to keep to themselves. But that night, the mood in the town was completely different.

It was not yet late, but even so, there were far more people on the street than they'd ever seen before. Warm light poured from open doors and slatted windows, and there was a bustle of good-natured talk and laughter. Huge paper lanterns with tassels dangling from them lined the main road. Multicolored streamers and string lights crisscrossed overhead, creating a twinkling canopy. Stringed instruments were playing from somewhere further down the street, mixing in with enticing aromas.

"What's going on?" Naruto wondered aloud as they easily slipped in among the streams of people.

"Let's get some food and watch."

They went to a hot-pot place they'd visited before. For the first twenty minutes after they were served, Naruto's main concern was getting as much of the food from the pot into his stomach as possible.

From snippets of conversation around, it sounded like people were celebrating the return of a noble family from the former Land of Rice Paddies. How and why they were back, and why it was a reason to throw a party, wasn't very clear to Naruto. But Jiraiya looked serious, and spent more time listening than eating.

"I'm going to have a look around," Jiraiya said after they ordered a second pot. "Just stay put, I'll be back before long."

"You're not skipping out on the bill, are you?" Naruto snapped his chopsticks at Jiraiya suspiciously.

"No—look. Here's my wallet. Use it if they bring the bill before I get back. A contribution would be nice, though."

"Okay." Reassured, Naruto put the wallet inside his coat. Once Jiraiya had walked away, he swapped Jiraiya's full plate for his empty one.

Jiraiya didn't come back before the bill, and Naruto waited for a while, leaning back, simply digesting. He wasn't quite worried yet, but he closed his eyes and let the many strands of energy whirl around him like a field of long grass.

Jiraiya was still in the town. In the half-vision, Naruto thought he saw him sharing a drink with someone. Was it his contact here? Jiraiya always met with those kinds of people alone, but Naruto was sure he'd sensed this guy before.

Naruto opened his eyes and let the energy slip away before it could change his appearance too much. He knew Jiraiya wouldn't want to be interrupted while investigating, so he decided to go wait at the edge of town like they had agreed. They'd quickly discovered there were no rooms available from all the festivities, so they planned to camp out before heading to Oto.

Naruto took his time walking back, basking in the festival-like atmosphere and half wishing for something fried on a stick, no matter how stuffed he already was.

He had just reached the meeting spot when he heard a twig snap in the woods.

Naruto jumped and spun around. "Who's there?"

For a second, everything was still. Then a familiar shape emerged from a tree.

"Sorry. There were a lot of people around earlier."

Naruto broke into a grin. "Obito! Where've you been? Did you make it back home okay?"

Obito stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a tree that shielded him from view of the town. "Yeah. Everything's fine, Iwa's surrender went through. I don't have a lot of time to talk, though—I'm not supposed to be here right now, but Minato-sensei is away from the village. Hopefully, far enough away not to notice me."

Naruto frowned. "He doesn't want you to come back here?"

"No, we're just supposed to be on our best behavior right now. But I had to take the chance. I've got a ton of things to tell you."

"Me too, I—"

"Okay, well, I'm going to go first and talk fast." Obito held up a hand and held up one finger for each point. "Kiri is still in the war, I am about to become a tokubetsu jounin, Uchiha Fugaku is the one who recommended me, I've been training with him every day, and I want to steal the Sanbi."

" _What?_ " Naruto said it so loudly that Obito started and stepped backward into the tree.

"Sorry." Naruto looked around and lowered his voice. "I checked this place out a while ago. There's no one out here."

Obito reappeared, running a hand through his dark spikes and glancing back toward the town. "Here's the thing. If I can get close enough to it, I could transport it away from my world and into the future timeline, where the bijuu aren't being hunted anymore. That way, there's no chance of Kiri using it, and even if Madara decides to pick someone else to be his lackey, no one will ever be able to reunite the Beasts again."

"Whoa." It took Naruto a while to take everything in. "Do you think you can really move it? And you have to talk to Kakathree-sensei about it, right?"

"I will. And I don't want to hang out with the Clan Head, but he could be my ticket to landing a solo mission to the Land of Water. If I can do that before October, Rin and Kakashi and Konoha will be safe."

"Damn, what is that—six months? You have to train enough to face it _and_ convince them to let you go."

Obito nodded. "I think I can do it, but I'll have to put everything I've got into the transfer. I won't be able to fight, so I need someone to distract the guards."

"You don't even have to ask," Naruto said immediately. "But what are you going to do if it's… if it has a jinchuuriki right now?"

Obito bit his lip. "I didn't think of that."

A beat of silence passed.

"There's no way it does," Obito said. "And if it does, that would mean the jinchuuriki has less than a year to live. So… we'd be saving two lives."

"Two lives," Naruto repeated. He gave a cheek-stretching grin.

"The only problem is, I'd have to leave you behind in my time. I—I don't know if I can transport the Sanbi _and_ someone else, if it isn't sealed."

"That's alright. I can make it out of there."

Plus, he still had Minato's dagger. Naruto planned to heed his word and hang on to it, even if calling for help was a last resort.

"Kabuto said he wanted to stay in kamui when it happens, in case I need to be healed before I can move on. I told him that was a bad idea, but he really wants to. I'll have to rely on my Sharingan to control it inside kamui, at least for a few minutes. I know there's a lot that could go wrong, but... I have to try it."

Naruto crossed his arms, head tilted to one side. "That's weird."

"Why?" Obito said, a tad defensively.

"Er, not you." Naruto shook his head. "It's just, there's something like this going on over here, too. Kiri's kind of officially on our side now, and they've come up with a way to try to catch the older you. By luring him with rumors of the Sanbi, to catch him when he shows up to take it."

Obito stared at him, his black eyes inscrutable in the darkness.

"They don't know anything about you—him," Naruto added. "I want to talk to him before that happens. I think you should, too. Orochimaru is probably after his eye, and he'd have to believe other dimensions are real if he sees you—"

"Do you think it's okay to tell him about that, when there's a chance he could figure out how to do it, too?"

"No! I don't know exactly what to tell him. I just don't think him being the Mizukage's prisoner is the right way. Do you? I mean, even you hate them, and you haven't been through what he has."

"When it comes down to it, I probably hate him more than them. What _they_ did was underhanded and it broke all sorts of agreements—and yeah, if it actually happens, I'll never be able to forgive them. But it's a war, and they were desperate, and I have no idea how much of it was Madara trying to get under my skin. But the other me—" Obito faltered. He looked down, frustrated, like he didn't know how to put it into words. "I did want to confront him, but now I don't. Now that I know…" he halted again. "No matter what happens to me from now on, I will _never_ hurt anyone I care about."

"I know that." Naruto frowned. "I was hoping you would be there to help against his kamui. Plus, I don't know how much he'll believe from me."

"I told you, it's fine. You don't have to put yourself in danger just because we're technically the same person."

"It's not that. I can't leave anyone alone in the darkness. _Especially_ if they're important to me."

"Important? How can you say that, knowing what he did? Hasn't it sunk in yet? I thought you'd hate me by now." Obito's eyes widened. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, prickly awkwardness radiating from the lines of his shoulders.

Naruto looked down at the ground. "Okay. I have no idea what I'll feel if I get the chance to meet him again. Maybe I will hate him. But you remember what I said, right? I don't really think of you as the same person. Even if your soul is the same, the actions you take yourself matter more than anything else. Wasn't that the whole point of Orochimaru's experiment?"

"Thanks," Obito said quietly. "I'm glad one of us sees it that way."

"Another thing. I think there's a chance the Kiri plan on this side could be manipulated by Orochimaru. He's definitely up to something; he attacked the village last week."

Obito frowned. He looked back at Naruto, momentarily distracted. "That bastard said he wasn't going to do anything against you!"

"Yeah, well, according to his definition, he wasn't. He only attacked the ANBU, and most of them weren't badly hurt. We went back there, but it was too late… and I told Kakashi-sensei about the older you." Naruto scratched his head. "Dang, there's a ton of stuff, I don't even know where to start."

"I have to go," Obito said, sounding strained. "Sorry, but thanks for telling me that much. I'll come back sometime after Minato-sensei gets home. I'm going to keep finding out whatever I can from the Clan Head."

"Okay. Just—uh, has my dad said anything else about me coming to the village?"

Obito shook his head. "No. He might've known he was about to be sent back out. Plus, in order to smooth things over with the Clan Head, he had to pretend you were part of a training exercise our team was doing. I'm not sure what he said to convince him, but we might have to hide you if you come back."

"I don't care about that. We can meet up in kamui if that's better. I just…"

"I know. Hopefully things'll calm down soon." Obito hesitated. "That thing with the older me… when is it?"

"I don't know exactly, but it's gonna be near the start of April," Naruto said in a rush. "Ero-sennin wants us to spend all our time training until then. We have time before your Kiri makes a move. If you come along, maybe you can scout out Water. You'll know where to go for your mission."

Obito gave a barely perceptible nod and turned, the spiral appearing around his body and taking him away in an instant.

Naruto took off his backpack and sat down. He leaned his head back against the tree and stared up, but there was nothing to see through the branches and woolly clouds covering the night sky. The half-moon that had guided his way out of town was gone.

"Hurry up, Ero-sennin," he muttered.

No matter what happened or who was after him, Jiraiya never seemed to mind leaving Naruto alone for hours during investigations. Most of the time it was an aggravation, but after being stuck at home for days, the freedom felt good.

At home, there had been way too much time to think about the fact that even with advanced sensing abilities, he couldn't find any of the people he wanted to find. It seemed like Sasuke and Orochimaru were actively hiding from him, and he hadn't been able to sense Itachi once since their last meeting. Sometimes, he caught a glimpse of Tobi, but lost track any time he went into his kamui dimension or into a shielded area. Both of those things happened a lot.

"So, what do you plan on doing next?" Naruto said aloud. He crossed his arms over his knees and rested his chin on his arms. "First time out since the link. If you're going to try controlling me again, now's a good time. There's nobody around to stop you."

He waited, listening to the tree branches shift on a cool breeze. Nothing happened.

"Ero-sennin probably won't tell me which day it's happening. He doesn't want you to know. That's not gonna help if the whole thing is your idea, right? But those guys will be ready for anything. And if that's not it, I have no idea what you're trying to do."

The air grew still. The forest was silent. The only light and sound nearby was the town, where the festivities finally seemed to be ebbing away.

"But if you ever see Sasuke again, you have to tell him where I am. If he's still hanging around Akatsuki, then he's probably been told to bring me in. If he shows up next to Tobi in front of Lava-Lady and Ao-jii, it could be bad. You could at least do that much."

Nothing changed. As usual, there was no way to tell if Orochimaru was listening, or if he was laughing at the request.

* * *

The last time Naruto and Jiraiya had gone near the Oto base, they had to be extremely careful not to be spotted. Even with all their precautions, they had only been able to scout out part of the aboveground façade before someone noticed them and they had to leave.

But today, the Oto base was shockingly empty. In fact, the entire Hidden Village was deserted.

Naruto could tell by Jiraiya's expression as they made their way to the village center that he was not surprised. They still went most of the way there by toad, but Jiraiya had them walk part of the way to take in what was now a ghost town.

"What happened?" Naruto wondered, following Jiraiya as he boldly walked in through the automatic sliding doors of the main base.

Even the false front of the Oto base resembled the reception area of a high-tech lab. Everything looked unsettlingly clean as usual—the floors gleamed, the chairs never used. But the lights were off. There was no lookout dressed in benign-looking office clothes at the front desk. There was no one around at all.

"I didn't think this place could get any creepier," Naruto muttered.

"Come on." Jiraiya motioned, and they walked toward the elevator.

"Is it working?" Naruto asked as Jiraiya jabbed the button for the elevator.

The elevator doors opened smoothly, whisper-quiet. Naruto filed in warily after Jiraiya, and the doors closed behind them.

"According to my information, Orochimaru has given this place up completely." Jiraiya started tapping the buttons in the complex code needed to get them into the underground base. "He's released his hold over not just this village, but the whole country. Everything has been reverted back to a noble from the former Land of Rice Paddies. But everyone is so spooked that they don't dare come near this village. As for the shinobi of the Sound, they've disappeared. It's unclear if they feared the wrath of their new lord, or if they are looking for Orochimaru, or if they've already found sanctuary elsewhere."

"He really undid everything." Naruto stared at his fuzzy reflection in the brushed metal doors. "I don't get him at all. What was the point of coming back here, taking away everything from his younger self, attacking the village—any of it?"

"Not sure I can offer an explanation," Jiraiya said. "I barely understood the version of him I knew. He obviously changed enough in the future to not care about any of this anymore. But I _can_ say he's always been the type to commit fully to any given scheme. He keeps his word, even when you have to look at his words sideways to see what they really mean."

The doors opened onto a gray stone atrium that was dimly lit from an ambiguous source. It was silent as a graveyard.

"Be careful," Jiraiya warned as they stepped out. "Remember, every room here is shielded against our senses. If things here are still running, someone might be around."

They didn't split up here the way they always did at other bases. They made their way systematically through each floor before descending further and further. Jiraiya was certain there were hidden passages, but they had no way to access most of them.

The rooms, the labs, the halls—everything was as empty and sterile as the building aboveground.

They came into a large space, a square of concrete that went up through several floors all the way to the surface. A huge grate covered the opening, but the far-off sky was visible. In between the floor and the sky, the walls were lined with rows and rows of empty prison cells.

Jiraiya looked up at the opening high above, then at a huge lever sticking out of the floor nearby.

"It's made so the opening can be covered or uncovered," he said.

"That seems weirdly nice." Naruto craned his neck to look up. The clouds from yesterday were nothing but a memory now. The sky was a pleasant pastel blue.

Jiraiya gave a hollow laugh. "It's not nice. Given enough time, most prisoners would allow any sort of indignity just for a short glimpse of the sky. Or it could be left open all the time, and in this tube, they would boil in the summer and freeze in the winter."

They moved on from the room quickly, crossing to the hall on the other side. This hall was wider and distinctly more comfortable. Instead of cold stone or crumbling stucco, the walls were lined with thin horizontal slats of wood in varying shades. In the low light, the staggered lines made the hall look oddly stretched.

Naruto opened the first door they came to and blinked in surprise.

It was the first room they'd seen that wasn't completely devoid of life. The personal rooms they encountered on this floor were empty aside from one or two pieces of bare furniture, but the bed in this room was made up, and the shelves had books on them.

Naruto walked in, looking around slowly. He only half-noticed Jiraiya's unease as he followed.

"How recently was someone here?" Jiraiya murmured, tilting his head beside a shelf to check for dust.

Naruto looked over the thick volumes on the shelves, but most of them had nothing written on the spines, and the ones that did made no sense to him. _Fundamental Neuroanatomy and Neurology._ What?

"Don't touch anything. If someone comes back here, we don't want to tip them off," Jiraiya warned him.

Naruto stopped at a shelf that displayed a modest row of knick-knacks. They were all wooden puzzle toys, trick boxes and a cipher and one of those cubes that would fall apart unless you put it together right. Naruto picked it up, and it immediately fell apart in his hands.

"Oi! What did I tell you?"

Naruto hurriedly pushed the pieces back onto the shelf. Then he turned around to Jiraiya.

"This is Kabuto's room."

"How do you know?"

"I think the more important question is why the two of you are _standing in_ my room."

Jiraiya looked back over his shoulder with a grim smile. "Guess it's just one of those things."

Naruto walked around Jiraiya to give the older Kabuto a once-over, and was relieved to see he looked the same as before. No scaleyness anywhere.

"I knew it was you," Naruto said with a grin. "We really could've used your help a few days ago! Ah—I didn't think of that. But I guess I couldn't have found you here, anyway."

"Excuse me?" Kabuto frowned down at him. "I can't even respond to something so incoherent. Are you concussed, or maybe drugged?"

"No, that's just his natural charm," Jiraiya said. "I thought you were traveling with Orochimaru. Is he here?"

"How disappointing." Kabuto pushed up his glasses, giving them a sharp look. "Really, Jiraiya-sama. You must be going senile if you can't tell this entire village has been abandoned."

"But you're still here," Naruto observed.

"I don't owe explanations to the likes of you."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you're going to get anything out of staying here. Orochimaru isn't the same anymore. I doubt he's ever coming back to this place."

"Please leave. There is nothing for you to find here, and you are irritating me to death."

"Listen." Naruto walked closer to him. "Remember when you saw us the last time, after that lab got destroyed? Nothing has been the same since then, right?"

Kabuto was still frowning at him, but now he looked less annoyed. "Are you suggesting Orochimaru-sama has been replaced by an imposter?"

"Not… exactly. I just mean the person you think he is isn't really him, and since he got what he wanted that day, he won't ever be the same again." No wonder Kabuto seemed confused. Naruto was confusing himself.

"How do you know? What happened that day?"

"Okay, I'll tell you. But _only_ after you leave this gloomy place, turn yourself in to Tsunade-baachan, and rejoin the village for real," Naruto said.

Kabuto gave him a pitying look. "Did you get amnesia while you were in a coma and forget everything since the Exams? I think your Hokage would rather have me killed on sight. You and I are not friends. Sorry if this is somehow still news to you, but my time spent in Konoha was entirely an act."

"I haven't forgotten. I just liked who you were back then. And I've started thinking it might be closer to who you really are. Even if it was an act, it was kind of fun being with everyone, wasn't it?"

"Your stupidity is almost endearing," Kabuto said flatly. "But I'm getting tired of it. I'll say it one last time: leave."

"Okay, but we still have the rest of the base to search."

"There's no point. There's nothing here."

"Right, right, it won't take us long, then."

Naruto started walking past Kabuto, but then stopped. Kabuto moved to the side, away from him, but Naruto grabbed his arm.

"Listen." Naruto looked Kabuto directly in the eyes. "It's not as impossible as you think. Wherever you can find happiness is where you belong. Forget the order of the universe."

"Don't touch me," Kabuto said quietly.

Naruto felt the cold, sharp edge of a scalpel pressed against his wrist. He smiled. Kabuto glanced to the side, where Jiraiya held a kunai next to his throat.

Naruto laughed and let go of Kabuto's arm. "Just think about it. We'll catch up sometime later, okay?"

They left Kabuto there, standing with his back to the door, staring at the disassembled pieces on the shelf.

* * *

As Kabuto had said, there was almost nothing left in the rest of the Oto base. There was some evidence of Kabuto continuing work in the closest lab, but there was nothing really terrible there. No live specimen, no prisoners.

"I'm surprised he didn't try to stop us," Jiraiya said as they found themselves back in the fake lobby.

"I think he's kind of lost. I wish there was a better way we could help him."

"You never cease to amaze me, you know that?" Jiraiya shook his head.

"Where are we going now?" Naruto asked as the front doors opened in front of them.

"Leave this country, for starters. Transfers of power tend to get messy quickly. We should move along and keep a low profile for a while. Other than that, just keep training and switching locations."

"Are we going back to Mount Myoboku?" Naruto asked, unable to fully conceal his disappointment.

"At some point, maybe, but you've moved past needing a place like that to use Sage Mode. I want you to be able to use the full form anywhere, under any circumstances. So that's what we'll focus on: different locations and more realistic situations."

"Realistic?"

"I mean during combat."

"Am I fighting you? For real?" Naruto's excitement was rising.

Jiraiya smiled down at him slyly. "You haven't trained in Frog Kumite until you've faced someone my size. You might not be looking forward to it for long."

* * *

 **Chapter 31, Reversal, will post October 27. Don't miss it!**


	31. Reversal

**[posted 10/27/18]**

 **CHAPTER 31 | Reversal**

 **Jiraiya** and Naruto spent the next two weeks traveling and training, always staying within or close to the Land of Fire, but never spending more than a few days in any one location.

Whenever they stopped in a large town, Jiraiya still liked to sneak off for fun and refreshment. But those times were fewer than before, and they were spending a lot more time training together.

In fact, when Jiraiya said _they_ needed to train, it turned out he meant it more literally than Naruto realized.

One morning, when they were in the most remote, south-east region of the Land of Fire, Naruto woke up late without the usual fire and breakfast smells to stir him out of sleep. He was alone on the rocky outcropping that overlooked the area.

A short walk back into the woods found Jiraiya sitting in a patch of dappled light among a cluster of huge ginkgo trees, the branches just beginning to show their spring greens.

Jiraiya was sitting cross-legged with his hands posed like one of the many statues on Mount Myoboku, but he wasn't in Sage Mode.

"What are you doing?" Naruto sat down across from him.

Jiraiya opened his eyes. "I _was_ practicing stillness."

Naruto tilted his head in puzzlement. "But you can even use Sage Mode while moving, right?"

"Only with help. But that's not the point. I'm tired of you one-upping me. It's about time I mastered the Mode, too."

"You still beat me every time we spar! You don't even give me a break now and then."

Jiraiya leaned forward, a competitive gleam in his eyes. "The Mode gives its user a huge boost, but it's still reliant on where you are to begin with. You can't beat me because there's still a gap between us on the base level. But I've seen how much of a difference the final form makes for you. It makes me wonder what _I_ could do if I finally cracked down on it."

"Yeah? Then why haven't you done it before now?" Naruto challenged.

"Ah…" Jiraiya leaned back and sighed. "I suppose I never had the drive to complete it once I got it. The boost I get from the incomplete form has always been enough to handle anything that comes my way. I don't like the way it makes me look, so I've never used it more than necessary."

"I use it all the time, even though it makes my face look like I got stung by something."

"That's exactly my point. That's how you found a way to master it in… what, less than a year?"

"Seven or eight months, I guess." Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "My older self did it a lot quicker. And I _still_ can't do the final form every time."

Jiraiya waved a dismissive hand. "Look, kid, your old man was right when he said you shouldn't make comparisons—"

"I _know_ that—"

"—but if you hadn't seen what you did in the future, I doubt you would have made it this far so soon. That's what happens when there's someone you really want to catch up to."

A slow smile worked its way onto Naruto's face. "Or when someone starts catching up?"

"Now you're getting it. Rivalry can be motivating."

"Yeah." Naruto gazed upward at the web of budding tree branches overhead.

"Speaking of Minato, you haven't told me when you're going to visit him again."

"That's because I don't know. I haven't talked to Obito since that time in the Sound," Naruto said, looking down and forlornly picking at blades of grass. "I told him about Kiri's plan to catch the fake Madara, but he didn't sound very interested. He completely hates his older self."

"That's just another way of saying he's afraid."

"Yeah. That's what I think, too."

"Just out of curiosity, when did Minato figure you out? It wouldn't surprise me if he knew just by looking at you. Was it before or after you first uttered 'dattebayo'?"

Naruto looked up at Jiraiya quizzically. "I dunno… it was this book you wrote. He said he got my name from there. He had it with him."

"That old thing?" Jiraiya exclaimed with a laugh. "I'll be damned. He said he liked to take it with him every mission for inspiration, but I thought it was all talk. Trying to butter me up, you know."

Even though he'd already seen it for himself, Naruto had a hard time imagining Jiraiya and his dad hanging out like old friends. It still stung a little, but he didn't want to bring it up again.

So he said, "I wonder if Sasuke has met back up with Orochimaru yet. He's gotta be annoyed with the way Orochimaru has been ignoring everything. If he's not still with Akatuski."

"I know you're concerned about Sasuke showing up in Kiri again, but that's another good reason for us to go there. Even if Sasuke shows up, if all he does is try to fight you, then it won't look so bad. Saying he followed us wouldn't exactly be untrue. I doubt he cares anything about Kiri or the Sanbi."

"Yeah. I just wish I knew why he changed his mind and went after Akatsuki now."

Jiraiya shrugged. "Maybe he isn't. We're stuck like this because we don't know where anyone is. He could have gone back to train with Orochimaru weeks ago."

Naruto rested his chin on one hand. He drummed the fingers of his other hand on his knee restlessly. "Is it going to work? They don't know who they're dealing with."

"They know what he did to Yagura, and for them that's enough. Baiting him is a reckless idea, but they'll do it whether we agree to help or not. If it fails, at least no one will be able to underestimate him again."

Naruto stood up. "I'm starving. Aren't you going to make breakfast?"

"Make it yourself. That is your task today. For training."

"What? You just made that up!"

"How do you know?"

"Fine. I'm going to catch some fish."

Naruto walked back to their campsite and shimmied down the side of the rocks. They were in a band of forested land not far from the southern sea, the most remote territory in Fire. On the opposite end from most of the other Five Greats, this land had been undisturbed for centuries, maybe even millennia. The closest settlement large enough to be called a town was in the Land of Waves.

They had been living off the land since they got here, but it was not very difficult. Below the rocks, a stream with crisp, clear water swirled into a lazy pool before moving on. The pool was thick with sleek gray loaches they liked to roast on sticks over a fire.

But instead of going to the pool where most of them lurked, Naruto rolled up his pants legs and waded knee-deep into the stream. Fish darted away from him. His reflection bounced all over the place in the agitated water.

Naruto closed his eyes and focused. Standing in slow-moving water was the current limit of how much movement he could make and still obtain Sage Mode. With slick stones underfoot and water tugging at his legs, it was impossible to keep completely still, and feeling the flow of energy against even that tiny movement was downright grueling.

And he still couldn't use the final form without being in contact with some sort of plant life. But his limits were expanding, inch by excruciating inch.

The ripples in the water faded and the stream grew calm once again. The loaches unburied themselves from the gravelly bed and nibbled curiously at his toes.

Naruto exhaled slowly and looked down at his puffy toad-face in the water.

Nothing. As usual, he couldn't sense Orochimaru or any of the Uchiha.

"You should tell Sasuke where we are," he grumbled out loud to his reflection. "I know he wouldn't have given up that easily. And you know what else? You can't beat Obito. You'll never have the power of the Uchiha for yourself. Ha! I bet you used to be jealous of my dad's space-time jutsu, too."

 _What are you doing, brat?_

"Wha—!" Naruto jumped, slipped on a rock, and splashed in the stream without quite falling. He stood up quickly out of the cold water with a squawk and walked onto the dry gravel.

' _Kurama, why d'you always have to talk to me out of nowhere?'_

 _If you want me to ask permission to speak, you'll be waiting a long time._

Naruto sat down to unroll his pants legs and put on his sandals. _'I don't mean that… you stopped answering me for so long, I thought you were still mad about tou-chan asking questions.'_

 _I've had to listen to you try getting that snake's attention almost every day. It might be the worst idea you've ever had—recent events included. Just let us be another forgotten project._

Naruto scowled to himself. _'Ero-sennin thinks I can't sense Sasuke from far away because that mark gives him some kind of corrupted Sage energy. We're running out of time! The Exams start in a week, and I still don't know which day we're going back to Kiri.'_

 _Don't you think it's about time you admitted failure and moved on—_

Naruto only had a split second to feel the hairs on his arms stand up. The Mode's reflexes had him moving before he understood why. He jumped and rolled forward, unfolding onto his feet with far more grace than usual, then turned around.

The sword was stuck in the ground where Naruto had been sitting, but Sasuke pulled it back easily. He was wearing the same traveling cloak as before, and watching him with Sharingan eyes.

"Did it work?" Naruto wondered aloud, more surprised about the coincidental timing than his near-beheading.

"No," Sasuke said, holding the sword out beside him, the edge of it pointed toward the ground. "If it had, you wouldn't still be moving."

"Orochimaru sent you to meet us here," Naruto guessed.

"Orochimaru?" Sasuke made a disgusted face. "He doesn't get to decide where I go. He's too busy with other things to notice, anyway."

"Then why are you here—"

Sasuke lunged forward, the sharp edge of his sword cleanly slicing the air. Naruto twisted to the side and felt himself slip on the smooth rocks at the water's edge again, but made it work in his favor by grabbing Sasuke's free arm as he fell. Sasuke was already moving forward, and Naruto was able to flip him over to land hard on his back in the shallow stream.

Naruto was up out of the water first, and even though he was soaked now, the Mode gave him the lightness and speed to make it to Sasuke before the latter got to his feet. Naruto dived and grabbed the dropped sword, then flung it out of reach.

"Why are you here?" Naruto repeated loudly. "If you don't want to follow Orochimaru anymore, then don't! And I know you don't want to help Madara. So what are you even fighting for anymore?"

Sasuke got to his feet slowly. He unhooked the clasp on his traveling cloak and threw the sopping mass to the side. His clothing was nondescript—an ordinary gi top and pants tied closely to his ankles with wraps. Even his appearance failed to show allegiance one way or another.

"As soon as you're captured, I intend to find out," Sasuke said. Inky black marks came alive on his skin and crawled down his arm, across his neck, and over his face.

Naruto dashed at him and pulled his fist back, aiming directly for the black marks across Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke raised his transformed arm, but did not anticipate the sheer force behind the punch. He flew backward and skidded on the gravel and into the grass. Sasuke scrambled back to his feet, running to grab the discarded sword. He scooped it up just in time, moving fluidly even as the gnarled, gray flesh spread down his other arm.

Naruto was right there. He wouldn't give Sasuke time to transform any further. He kicked out, and this time Sasuke chose to dodge rather than take the hit. Sasuke stepped to the side and jabbed the sword into the space where Naruto had been—but Naruto had already jumped directly into the air and was aiming another kick to Sasuke's temple.

A large, grotesque, hand-like wing burst from Sasuke's shoulder and shielded his head as if acting all on its own. Sasuke slid back again as the kick landed with a heavy _thump_ and the sharp snap of the damage, Sasuke only fell to one knee before recovering enough to stand.

The wing lifted and went back to its original position. A second one was rapidly growing beside it, and the marks melded together and solidified into gray skin across his neck and shoulders. But the wing Naruto had hit was smaller, as if stunted, and it looked broken and painfully mottled.

A prickling of hope sent Naruto's heart jumping. Sasuke hadn't grown very much since last time, but _he_ had.

"Listen to me for once! If you would just—"

Naruto paid for his distraction when Sasuke suddenly dropped down below his guard and swiped his legs out from under him, then kicked him into the air. Then Sasuke was behind him, somehow practically flying on one wing, and grabbed on to his jacket.

Naruto found himself being lifted up, up—then back down. He tried to twist away, but Sasuke's grip held. Gravity took over, and Naruto plunged backward into the deep pool. The momentum was enough to knock most of the breath out of him and stir up a mass of bubbles.

Naruto's back bumped against the smooth stones at the bottom of the pool, and when he looked up, he saw the bubbles clearing—and further up, Sasuke in the air, falling with his sword pointed down, and the blade throwing off thick, vivid bands of electricity.

A gasp of air escaped Naruto's mouth. He raised his hand and fired a slice of Wind energy that was large enough to cut through all the way to the surface. Sasuke could only lean to one side to get out of the way, and it ruined his balance. The _fuuton_ sliced clean through the damaged wing and Sasuke tumbled into the pool along with the sword.

Electric energy crackled through the water, lighting up Naruto's bones and sending all the fish belly-up to the surface. Naruto inhaled water and his vision turned to a confusing whirl of silver, blue, and black. He only made it out when he had the luck to emerge face-up.

When his brain dimly registered the sky and the feeling of air on his face, Naruto clawed blindly for the shore, coughing and vomiting water. Dead fish crowded around his body, and he lay halfway on the gravel, trying to brace himself up on his hands to cough all the water out. Soggy hair fell in his eyes. His hitai-ate had fallen off somewhere. The pool was growing cloudy with sand and blood.

As consciousness took a firmer hold, Naruto could hear Sasuke on the opposite side, coughing his lungs out as well. Naruto grit his teeth and forced himself to be the first one up again.

He walked around to the other side and hauled Sasuke out onto the ground by his arms. At Naruto's touch, the gray armor retreated and slithered backward toward the mark on Sasuke's neck. One of the wings was nothing but a bleeding stump, but the other one started rapidly shrinking.

At the same time, Naruto felt a rush of Sage energy and let go of Sasuke in surprise. He hadn't even realized the sudden shift into the Mode's final form, but when he looked at his hands, the lack of webbing confirmed it.

Had the final form done something to Sasuke, or was it the other way around? Was the mark's retreat just a coincidence?

Sasuke pried his eyes open and looked up at Naruto, body heaving with silent coughs. His eyes were still Sharingan-red.

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but this is stupid. We should be fighting Akatsuki together," Naruto said hoarsely. He offered his hand.

Sasuke glanced behind him. Naruto whirled around. The space behind him was twisting and warped, and the false Madara stepped out of thin air.

"All that big talk, and you're already losing. I shouldn't have wasted my time humoring you."

Despite the pain in his lungs, Naruto still felt the full power of the Mode running through him like a current. He took one step toward Tobi, fists curling.

"Naruto, _get back!_ " he heard Jiraiya shout from behind him.

For a suspended second, Naruto kept standing there. Despite everything he knew, he wanted to lunge forward. He wanted to fight, to scream, to do anything but walk away from Tobi. But he didn't do any of those things, because Tobi decided to attack first.

He reached out, and Naruto felt the disturbance of space and energy ahead of the man's gloved hand, like the threads of the natural world were bending around him.

Naruto jumped back from the stream, and suddenly Jiraiya was beside him. The Sannin flicked his hands and the water exploded upward in a geyser, the once cold water boiling and steaming.

It shot directly at Tobi, but he didn't try to dodge. Nor did he waste time making unnecessary movements or handing out taunts. He ran through the water directly at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya shifted his stance and inhaled deeply. The water fell back into the riverbed.

Naruto darted around the side to stay out of the blast radius, trying to reach Sasuke. It looked like Jiraiya was about to use a fire jutsu, but surely he knew it would just go through Tobi too—was he trying to take advantage of the continual attack weakness Obito had told them?

But just as Jiraiya let loose a stream of fire, Tobi disappeared. The plume of flame was so huge that Jiraiya might not have been able to see it, but Naruto did.

"He's gone! Watch out!" Naruto shouted. He twisted back toward Jiraiya, certain that Tobi was about to appear behind him and take him off guard.

But Jiraiya's hair puffed into spikes and grew rapidly, creating a shield for his back in less time than it would have taken for him to turn around.

Meanwhile, Naruto made it back to Sasuke, who looked barely conscious. His eyes were black again, and they were only slightly open. The back of his gi was soaked with blood. Had he lost too much? Or were his lungs still full of water?

Naruto felt the world bend again and made to jump to the side and take Sasuke with him, but Sasuke unexpectedly fell from his grip.

Tobi had grabbed Sasuke by the collar first, and he threw him over his shoulder. Sasuke coughed and gasped and a stream of water came out of his mouth.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto forgot the fact that Tobi was after him. He jumped to grab Sasuke, but a white, spiky mass shot out and wrapped around his middle. Jiraiya pulled him backward while running forward, his hair wild and overgrown.

Jiraiya slammed his hand down, and the ground beneath Tobi turned pink and fleshy. Before Naruto could blink, the two Uchiha were swallowed up in the mouth of a massive toad that gave a contented belch before shrinking down in size.

"Wh—what?" Naruto stared down at the toad in shock.

"We need to leave. Now," Jiraiya said sharply. "I don't think my Toad Prison will hold him long—"

Tobi stepped out of the air as easily as walking through a curtain. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. Tobi's masked face turned toward Jiraiya.

Naruto tried to move, but the hair just coiled around him further. It expanded, making a dome of spikes around him. He couldn't see what was going on.

"No!" he called out.

Then he felt hands around his ankles and looked down in time to see Tobi's hands sticking out of the ground.

"No!"

At the first pull, he fell into the ground all the way up to his waist. Naruto dug his fingers into the ground and strained to pull himself free, like a person sinking in quicksand.

Blades of grass shot up and wrapped around his arms, rooting him into the ground as if unwilling to let him go.

He was the anchor for this world, and it was his.

But the struggle only lasted a second. Naruto's grip on the world was loosening. He was losing the ability to move.

"Don't wait for me!" he shouted. "I'll meet you—"

Jiraiya's hair spikes tightened, but they just phased through his body.

Naruto fell into Tobi's kamui dimension.

* * *

Sasuke was vaguely aware of resting upright, held in place by some squishy material surrounding his body.

Then he realized this situation was familiar, and he raised his head to look around. He was in the belly of a toad.

Sasuke had no idea if he'd been unconscious for minutes or hours. He strained to pull his arms and legs free from the wall.

"It's no use. Unless you have a power like Madara's or your brother's, you're not getting out of here."

It was as if Jiraiya knew exactly what to say to get under his skin. Sasuke shot him a poisonous glare.

"You won't get away with this."

"What? What's with that line?" Jiraiya patted him on the head in a purposefully irritating way. "I save your life, and you're talking like I'm the villain in this situation. Should I start monologuing? Even if I do, it won't buy you enough time to escape."

"I'm not going back," Sasuke snarled.

"Fine. I'm not here to drag you back. It would be inconvenient right now, anyway." Jiraiya sat down cross-legged on the fleshy ground and rested his forehead on one of his hands.

Sasuke watched Jiraiya silently for a while. The strange fleshy cave they were in flexed and bumped and gave off a strange churning noise, but it refused to let go of him.

"What happened?"

Jiraiya looked up at him. "Naruto was taken by Akatsuki. And that complete _fool_ wants me to keep to the damn schedule like nothing's wrong." Jiraiya stood up, restless. "He's so sure they'll kill him last. And I'm the idiot who let the two of you have your fight. I didn't think you had sold out to Madara this much."

Sasuke looked down and tried flexing his hands. The squishy substance had give underneath the surface. He could move to an extent. "I didn't know Madara was following me. I thought he was somewhere far away from here."

"Is that so?" Jiraiya said skeptically. "I thought I overheard you say something about capturing Naruto."

Sasuke went back to glaring at him. "I have no interest in helping Akatsuki. But there was another Uchiha who showed up last time I fought Naruto. Madara won't tell me anything about him, so I wanted to meet him again to find out for myself."

Jiraiya sighed. "Did it not occur to you to just _ask_ Naruto about it? Or were you truly hoping to kill him to stop Akatsuki? That wouldn't work forever, you know. The Kyuubi would eventually come back. As for meeting that kid, neither of us can contact him, so you're out of luck there."

Sasuke paused, wary of how much Jiraiya knew. "Who is he? How are you and Naruto connected to him?"

"It's complicated," Jiraiya said. "Madara doesn't know anything—at least he _didn't,_ but I have no idea what Naruto plans to tell him. That has more to do with Orochimaru." Jiraiya continued his pacing. "But not even Orochimaru could reach Naruto now. _Maybe_ that kid could, but we told him we had plenty of time," he muttered to himself. "Damn it!"

Sasuke considered that while Jiraiya kept moving around restlessly, considering different options under his breath.

"Did Orochimaru make a clone of Madara?"

Jiraiya stopped. "Something like that. But believe it or not, that's far from the problem here. Madara will be sure to keep Naruto out of everyone's reach until it's time to extract the Kyuubi. Naruto thinks he has a way to escape Madara's pocket dimension, but there are plenty of ways to keep someone alive and incapacitated." Jiraiya massaged his forehead. "He's counting too much on us distracting Madara. And if that wasn't reckless enough, he knows we won't kill Madara as long as he's missing. So he may actually try to reason with him instead of escaping."

"Reasoning with Madara doesn't work."

"Yes, well, reasoning with Naruto doesn't always work either."

"What are you going to do?"

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "Until we think of something better, the only thing I can do is move forward with our plan to confront Madara. If we have him, we have Naruto. After that… I have no idea."

Sasuke got the feeling Jiraiya was only telling him the plan because he had no intention of freeing him from this fleshy prison. "Then, if you aren't going to drag me back, why don't you let me go? Madara won't be coming back for me."

"He won't, but there's always a chance you might know something that could help lead us to him." Jiraiya leaned in closer to him. "Right now I'm going to leave and talk to some people. Thanks in part to your interference, Akatsuki has Naruto now, and sooner or later they _will_ try to kill him. Stay here and let that sink in a while."

Then Jiraiya stepped back and let the walls engulf him. Then he was gone, and Sasuke was alone with the distant churning.

Sasuke coughed. His lungs were still sore from inhaling too much water. But the cough turned into a quiet laugh.

"We'll see who really keeps their promise this time."

* * *

Tobi was obviously used to catching his victims off guard. He let go of Naruto as soon as they landed in the kamui dimension, leaving himself wide open.

Naruto had fallen down from above, but he was ready the moment he found himself able to move again. He landed on his feet in front of Tobi and hauled back to punch the man in the jaw with the full force of his Sage Mode.

It landed. Tobi flew off to the side and Naruto chased after him. He sprinted and lined up a kick, but this time Tobi let it go through him. Naruto hit a column of stone instead and the top half of it exploded, showering chunks of rock and powder.

Tobi retaliated by kicking his exposed back, and Naruto fell into another column hard enough to feel several of his ribs snap. He bit his cheek and blood filled his mouth.

Naruto slid down to the floor and jerkily rolled over so that his back was to the column, pushing himself backward, his feet repeatedly slipping on the smooth surface. He sat up the best he could against the column. Agony flared through his chest, and breathing made his muscles spasm with pain. The splintered bones were stabbing him internally.

Naruto could feel his body rapidly repairing the damage—energized by the full Sage Mode, it was almost as fast as his clone body in the future.

But if he used it all up, there was no way to get the Mode back right now. He hadn't left any bunshin in reserve. And in this dimension, he was cut off from almost every source of Natural Energy.

He willed the Sage energy to stop healing him so that he could keep fighting, but it didn't obey his will. As Tobi walked over to him, Naruto found himself able to move again and breathe without pain. He struggled to hold on to the final tendrils of his power, but it slipped away from him.

With Tobi standing over him and the Mode gone, Naruto tried the only thing he could think of.

"Stop, Obito."

And he did. Tobi stood still, and he was within reach.

"Where did you hear that name?"

Naruto spat out a mouthful of blood and stabbed Tobi in the leg with a kunai he'd hidden in his palm.

But Tobi didn't dodge or react, and the wound didn't bleed. Naruto rolled backward again and pushed himself up to his feet, ducking around to the other side of the column, hands splayed on the stone. He was exhausted, but whole. He closed his eyes just for a second, trying to use his senses.

What he felt confirmed it. It was exactly like Kakathree had told them. Half of Tobi's body was made out of the same cells that he and Kabuto and the younger Obito had in the future.

There was no time to gather energy. When Naruto opened his eyes, Tobi was standing in front of him, reaching out.

Naruto pulled a knife from his back pouch and tried to stab him again, but this time Tobi caught his wrist and twisted it painfully, making his hand open and drop the weapon.

Minato's dagger clattered to the ground.

Tobi twisted Naruto's arm and kicked him in the chest, not as hard as the first time, but enough to knock Naruto back against the column, curling inward and gasping for air.

Tobi picked up the knife slowly. He stared at it in his hand as Naruto raised his head, breathing ragged.

They stood like that for several heartbeats.

"Give that back," Naruto said, a slight wheeze in his voice.

Tobi tilted his head to one side. "Give it back? As in…" He mimed the motion of dragging the blade across his throat.

"You won't kill me like that," Naruto said with a grim, humorless smile.

"Oh, I wouldn't test me if I were you! But I _have_ been searching for you a long time." Tobi flipped the knife over and tucked it into his coat. His sing-song tone suddenly became deadly serious. "So tell me: what is Orochimaru trying to do?"

* * *

 **Chapter 32: Gold General, Silver General - will post November 2.**

 **[edit: I'm changing this to October 31, in order to completely free up all my November days.]**


	32. Gold General, Silver General

**(posted 10/31/18)**

 **CHAPTER 32** **| Gold General, Silver General**

 **Naruto** was staring at Tobi's red cloud-emblazoned coat. They were already in the kamui dimension, so Tobi probably hadn't made Minato's dagger disappear. But even if it was just in his pocket, it still felt hopelessly out of reach.

"None of that belongs to you," Naruto said.

"I plan on asking Orochimaru myself," Tobi continued as if he hadn't heard. "But since you're already here, whatever I can learn from you would be a good start. You seem to know far more than anyone should."

"What's he trying to do? In the long run, I don't know. But he wants to steal your eye. He wants this." Naruto moved his hands to indicate the kamui dimension as a whole.

Tobi gave a disbelieving snort. "He put you in a catatonic state, attacked my troops, and killed the Mizukage in order to get this?"

Even though Tobi's voice sounded completely different, the sarcasm felt far too much like his younger self. Or maybe knowing just made it seem that way.

"No." Naruto straightened his back, standing as tall as he could to focus on the spiral opening in Tobi's mask. "What happened with me was something else. Orochimaru isn't out to take the bijuu. But he probably wants you to think that, since it keeps you distracted."

"Even if I believed that much—and I don't—I would like to understand how he knows so much about my plans. Or why he would tell you."

Naruto shrugged. "He was in Akatsuki, right? He must've had plenty of time to figure out what you were—"

"All the major nations know by now," Tobi cut in dangerously. "Hunting the bijuu will take that much longer. You cannot tell me Orochimaru only did this as a distraction."

"He probably did it for fun, too."

Tobi's hand shot forward. Naruto braced for impact, but Tobi simply grabbed his jaw and forced his head up. Naruto could see the one red eye shining through the mask.

"This is your last chance to answer voluntarily. How did Orochimaru take the Kyuubi? How were you able to get it back? What is your role in all of this?"

"I'm the same as you," Naruto said. "Another piece in his game. But at least I'm aware enough to realize it."

Tobi slammed his head back, cracking it against the stone. Naruto's knees gave way and he slumped against the column.

The outside world was a distant buzz through the washed out feeling in his head. The pain was sharp, but it didn't feel like it belonged to him. Blood tickled the back of his neck.

 _Naruto._ Kurama's voice came to him through a mental kaleidoscope. _We need to end this. If you pass out here, you may never wake up again_.

Naruto forced his eyes open and braced himself against the column with his hands.

' _Thanks, Kurama. I'm sorry I got you into another mess. I haven't made anything up to you yet. And I've never really thanked you enough.'_

 _This isn't the time for pointless rambling! Use my power. It is the only way you stand a chance against him now_ _._

Naruto slowly raised a hand to wipe his mouth. _'S no good. If it looks like he's about to take us to get extracted, you can go wild. But right now, I need to be myself.'_

Because Naruto couldn't see Tobi's face beneath the mask, it took him a moment to realize the man was still talking.

"—But there's no time to be wasting on this. Are you sure you can do it?"

He was talking to someone else.

Naruto's eyes tracked over to where Tobi was looking. He put both of his palms back on the column to keep himself from slipping down.

"Yes," Itachi said quietly.

Itachi walked toward them with one hand lightly touching the column. He looked almost as bad off as Naruto felt. His face was pale and clammy, his hair falling in tired strings.

"Itachi," Naruto murmured.

He didn't understand.

Itachi let his hand fall. Naruto looked up at him, transfixed as Itachi's eyes turned red and then melded into the shape of the Mangekyou.

It didn't make sense.

Was this a nightmare?

 _MOVE_ _!_ Kurama roared.

No. It was about to be one.

The geometric gray surface of the kamui dimension smoothed into a landscape of umber liquid and fast-moving storm clouds.

Naruto stepped back, looking around wildly. His body felt strangely light, and he couldn't feel the pain anymore.

"Kurama?" he tried. "Itachi?"

"In this place, time is suspended."

Naruto turned around. Itachi stood there, looking just as worn out as before. But nothing else in the space stayed the same.

"What happened?" Naruto asked, trying not to let his voice shake.

"Tsukuyomi," Itachi said. "My most powerful genjutsu. On the outside, it will be only a second. But for us, it will feel like three days."

"No, I mean—what's going on? Are—are you alright? Why are you here?"

Itachi's expression didn't change, but Naruto somehow got the impression that he was smiling.

"I'm sorry," Itachi said.

It looked like he was about to say something else, but his face suddenly twisted with pain and he bent over, coughing into his hand.

"Itachi!"

Naruto was already thoroughly freaked out, but he ran to Itachi and tried to hold the Uchiha up as his body racked with coughs.

It was no use. Itachi sank down and half-sat, half-lay on the ground. Naruto knelt beside him, brow furrowed with concern and fear.

"You shouldn't have done it! You can't use your special move when it looks like you can barely even stand up! What were you thinking?"

Itachi lowered his trembling hand. It was shiny and red with blood.

"Sasuke." He grasped Naruto's sleeve. "Where is he? Is he still with Madara?"

"I—I don't know." Naruto's eyes widened as Itachi slumped, and he tried to keep him held up in a sitting position. "Sasuke—he was there, we fought, but Madara wasn't really interested in him. Sasuke must have gone his own way a while ago."

Itachi nodded, then another coughing fit came on. Naruto held on to him tightly, but Itachi didn't seem to notice. He slumped lower until he was laying on the ground.

"I'm sorry," Itachi said again in a quiet rasp. Blood leaked from the edges of his lips. "Sorry for going along with it."

"Don't worry about that right now, just try to—"

"But it would be worse for you if I had hesitated. It is better for Madara to believe we're on different sides."

"You… you're on my side? Are you here because you tried to confront him?"

Itachi gave the barest of nods. "I didn't give anything away. I only warned him not to tell Sasuke the truth. I pretended it was only about their meeting. But Madara didn't try to fight. He simply wanted me out of the way."

Itachi had still been gripping Naruto's sleeve. But now he let go and rested his head back against the ground as if even that was too much effort. Breath rattled through him, punctuated by small hitches and weak coughs that sent up droplets of blood.

"What should I do?" Naruto whispered. A hard lump was growing in his throat. "It's my fault you're like this! If I hadn't—if you didn't—"

"No," Itachi said between staccato breaths. "The world is far beyond your control. Much less the people in it. Even while trying to change for the better, we hurt one another. That's unavoidable."

"No!" Naruto shook Itachi when he closed his eyes. "You can't fall asleep right now. We have to get out of here. We need to get out and find Sasuke and tell him the truth. I don't care if he doesn't want to come home. If you're both alive and you have each other, that's the only thing that matters."

Itachi didn't respond. Nor did he move.

"Please say something." Naruto reached out, but he had no idea what to do. He could hardly see through the tears blurring his eyes. He clutched the front of Itachi's coat uselessly, as if that could somehow keep him from drifting away. "Don't leave. If you keep on living, there'll always be a chance. But there's nothing if you give up. You haven't had the chance to do things differently yet. Don't you even want to try?"

Naruto fell silent, listening with everything he had. But there were no more coughs. No words. No breath. Nothing.

The seconds ticked by.

Nothing.

The blood on his skin was drying out.

Itachi's face was pale and cold.

 _Nothing_.

The minutes stretched on and on. The fact that it was only a fraction of a second on the outside didn't matter. In here, the afterimage would continue.

The rushing clouds overhead moved slower and slower and slower until they stopped.

Naruto drew in a fast breath, preparing to scream—

And he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Naruto twisted his head around then staggered quickly to his feet when he saw Itachi standing behind him.

"Wh—what is going on?" He looked down. The Itachi on the ground was gone.

"That was an illusion."

Naruto stepped back a few paces more, fists curled over his face. Exhaustion filled the inside of his skull; he was physically and emotionally wrung out.

"Why?" He rubbed his arm across his eyes, but it didn't stop the tears.

"I'm sorry. The Tsukuyomi reflected the truth of your suffering in that moment. I only wanted to see how it would play out. It looks like you've been telling the truth all along."

"Of course I have! You didn't have to trick me into thinking you were..."

"It is a preview of reality. Not a trick."

Naruto looked up, almost afraid of what he might see. But though he still looked strained, Itachi was simply standing there, whole and alive.

"That is what the future holds for me," Itachi continued. "If you imagine Sasuke in your place just then, maybe you will finally understand why I do not want us to reconcile now."

Naruto lowered his hands, shoulders squaring. "It doesn't have to be that way. We can escape and get you some help. Tsunade-baachan is the best in the world. If anyone can do something, it's her."

"Escape from this dimension and get help from the Hokage?" Itachi said, clearly meaning to point out how ridiculous it sounded, but Naruto nodded.

"As long as we stick together, we'll be fine. We can find a way to get out. That is… you're really on my side now, right?"

"Everything I said a moment ago was true. Madara thinks I rebelled against him only because he broke our agreement by meeting with Sasuke. He does not know what you told me about the future."

"But you believe me? Since when?"

"My…" Itachi paused. "The other me. I—he imparted information to me that time we met outside Konoha. It took a while to sort through everything. But there were things only I could have known. The trap I set for myself couldn't have been made by anyone else. I had no choice but to accept it."

"So you tried to stop Madara… and that's how you ended up here. Then, what do we do now? I'm fine with pretending we're still enemies, but Madara wants you to find out what happened to me when I disappeared. What're you going to tell him?"

"We have three days to figure that out," Itachi said with a hint of a smile. "The safest option is to make it seem like you don't truly know much. Short of killing you, Madara will not relent if he thinks you know something valuable."

"And then he's more likely to leave us alone, and we can find a way out." Naruto nodded in agreement.

Itachi shifted. "The… aftereffects of the Tsukuyomi will keep you unconscious for a while. I can't prevent that."

"What? For how long?"

"At least three days."

"Three days…"

The schedule. They were supposed to be back in Water in six days. Their role was to stay outside of Kiri and help keep on the lookout for any signs of Tobi entering the country, reporting the direction and distance if they sensed him. Naruto assumed they would track Tobi all the way to Kiri, but he didn't know what the next stage of the plan was.

Three days from now, Jiraiya would have to go without him, if he didn't decide to do something else first. Would he tell the Mizukage and everyone? Would they cancel the plan?

"If Kiri has a plan to confront Madara, it's unlikely they will abandon it, no matter what Jiraiya-sama chooses," Itachi said.

Naruto took a step back. "Can you actually read my mind?"

"Only in here," Itachi said apologetically.

"I can't be knocked out for three days! I told Kura—the Kyuubi to go wild if I was knocked out and couldn't protect us. I don't think he'll wait that long."

"I am not an expert on bijuu, so I can't be certain, but I think he should remember all of this after the time is up. It will only be a second."

Naruto sat down on the ground and leaned forward, hands on his knees. "So, what if they really do capture Madara? He could try to hold us hostage in order to escape."

"Not us. You," Itachi pointed out. "I don't know. But if you know a way out, it would give you a good opportunity to do so."

"I'll try it as soon as I can, and I'm going to take you with me. He doesn't need you alive. If he figures out you helped me, he might try to kill you."

"My life is already forfeit. The real danger is in Madara discovering how much you fear my death."

"Whatever! Same difference. Just stay alive." Naruto shook his head in aggravation. "If the younger Obito shows up while I'm still knocked out, you can explain things to him. If he can reach here, he'll be able to get us out."

"Who?"

"Oh yeah. I guess I haven't explained that yet. Well, if you see him..." Naruto brought an image of the younger Obito to his mind, hoping Itachi could see it. To his shock, however, the image appeared directly in front of him.

"Obito!" Naruto jumped to his feet.

"An illusion," Itachi said quickly. "In here, the ones you create will always—"

"This mission is more important than anything else," Obito said, leveling his determined gaze at Naruto. "If you can't help me, I'll find another way. I don't care who I have to sell my life to. I'll become anything if it means I can beat them."

Itachi cut his hand through the illusion, and it dissolved.

"Was that your friend?"

"He's the fake Madara," Naruto said, staring at the space where Obito had appeared. "Another version of him, anyway. I'm not the only one Orochimaru took out of time. That's why I think he might be able to reach us. He has the same dimensional jutsu."

"I've known for a while that Akatuski's Madara is nothing but an imitator. So that's who he really is."

"Do you remember him?" Naruto looked up at Itachi.

"Not much. Only that he supposedly died in the Third War. I was too young to remember everyone who died or went missing then. That is who will come find us?"

"Maybe. I don't know if he can travel to a different kamui, and he's been busy with stuff in his own dimension. But if he shows up, you can trust him."

"I'll… try to keep that in mind."

"I know it's weird." Naruto looked around. "Is there anything you can do to get this done with faster? Or make it so I'm not affected?"

"It can be blocked or interrupted at the outset, but the effects are unavoidable once it lands. It is over too quickly."

"Guess I have to leave it to you, then." Naruto peered apprehensively at the reverse-image sky. "If there's anything else you need to know, I guess we have the time to talk about it."

Itachi sat down in a chair that had suddenly appeared. Naruto saw another one across from him and sat down in it.

"Tell me about your fight with Sasuke," he said.

* * *

The Tsukuyomi ended.

Exhaustion fell on Itachi like a heavy blanket, a sensation punctuated by the stinging in his eyes. He was at his limit. There wouldn't be any more stunts like that for a while.

Naruto slumped down to the ground. The back of his head was matted with blood. Neither Uchiha moved to help him, but Itachi watched, keeping his guard up in case the Kyuubi appeared.

"So?" Madara prompted.

Itachi relaxed by a fraction and lowered his hand.

"Orochimaru is not after the bijuu in themselves—at least as far as Naruto-kun knows. His only purpose in that regard is to interfere with Akatsuki. But Naruto-kun does sincerely believe that Orochimaru wants to take your eyes. Apparently, he has already taken the reserve secretly kept beneath Konoha. Naruto-kun was there shortly after it happened, so he now believes that Orochimaru is back to his old preoccupation with stealing Uchiha abilities."

Madara raised his head, intrigued. Itachi could tell the small scrap of genuine information had made him swallow the lie.

"What about the technique that caused Naruto and the Kyuubi to vacate his body for months, yet still survive?"

"He does not know," Itachi said. "They have been chasing Orochimaru in order to answer that same question. So far, all they know are the few things Orochimaru has told them, such as Akatsuki's goals—and, interestingly, who you really are."

Madara didn't move, but he was obviously fuming. Itachi waited. He already planned to step in if Madara struck out at Naruto again.

"Then next time, we will have to go directly to the source," Madara said. "Is there anything else?"

Itachi said nothing. Naruto had told him about the Mizukage's plan to confront the false Madara, and his own concerns that Orochimaru was the one who was orchestrating the clash. But even after all he had heard, Itachi hardly believed Orochimaru was a threat worth warning Madara over.

"I said, is there anything else?"

"Is it true that you will be returning to Kiri to retrieve the Sanbi soon?"

"Yes. If they have figured that out, they must be planning a countermeasure."

Naruto had told Itachi the Sanbi wasn't really going to be there, that it was just a trick to make Madara appear there at the right time. Did this mean that Madara had taken the bait? Or did he know something no one else did?

"The Mizukage is preparing. But Naruto-kun believes Orochimaru will also make his next move in Kiri, while everyone else is distracted by the Sanbi. Jiraiya will likely be waiting for you there, as well."

"Oh? Orochimaru seems determined to give away all my moves," Madara said. "As much as I'd like to take care of all of them at once, retrieving the Sanbi is my top priority. If you don't mind playing the distraction, I can let you go then. Sasuke will be there; he is in Jiraiya's custody right now. They will probably take him home afterward. Aren't you glad?"

Itachi paused. "Is that so?"

"He'll have a perfect alibi, and all will be forgotten. Anything he might have been seen doing before this can be blamed on chasing you."

"I understand."

Madara looked down at Naruto, then turned away. A spiral swirled around him and he disappeared.

Itachi sat down and leaned back, closing his eyes. Not for the first time, he cursed the weakness in his own body.

Naruto had been so certain the Mizukage's plan was nothing but a ploy. That Madara was being tricked, that the Sanbi wouldn't really appear, and Orochimaru was simply waiting for Kiri to take the eye for him. But Itachi's intuition was telling him something different.

Naruto and Madara had opposite beliefs about what would happen in six days. That meant at least one of them was wrong.

If Orochimaru was truly after Madara, he wouldn't entrust the final blow to anyone else.

He'd do the same thing he did during the last Exams: make false deals and use the bijuu to create chaos and confusion. While everyone scrambled to catch up, he would take what he wanted himself.

It was more likely that no one knew the whole truth.

But they'd all dive in, anyway. It was already in motion.

The collision course was set.

* * *

Sasuke made three escape attempts on the first day.

First, he tried to muscle his way out by activating his seal, but the more force he put into the struggle, the more tightly the inside of the toad held him. Eventually, he couldn't hold his enhanced form anymore, and he had to hang there with his arms going numb from being squeezed too tightly.

His second, short-lived attempt involved breathing fire down at the stuff to see if it would shrink away. This immediately ran into problems when he could not use his hands to make the correct seal. He could only make half-seals and focus the energy on his hands. Since they were still covered up, all he managed to burn was himself.

That's when Sasuke decided to switch to lightning energy. He knew he could at least cover his body with it without hurting himself.

He let it go for as long as he could sustain it, and he was just about to give up when the flesh surrounding him noticeably loosened. Setting his jaw, Sasuke pushed, giving the lightning every scrap of energy he had.

The wall spat him out with a wet sound and Sasuke fell to the ground. He simply lay there for a moment, his arms and legs limp.

Then he got to his feet and checked for his tools. Nothing. He'd dropped his sword, and Jiraiya had confiscated everything else. The only thing he could do was keep throwing every jutsu he had at the walls in the hopes that they would give way too.

Unfortunately, they didn't. Not even when he pushed his heavenly seal to the maximum.

By the time Jiraiya returned to check on him, Sasuke had stopped to sit down and take a small break.

Jiraiya crouched down beside him. "So this is what it looks like when the youth stray from their path."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he gave Jiraiya a withering look.

Jiraiya was unfazed. "I see you freed yourself. Did you have a good nap? Or are you going to pretend you weren't sleeping just now?"

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. I just thought you might be hungry." He put down a bento box in front of Sasuke. "By the way, you could have saved yourself the effort and waited for me to let you down. It's not like I was planning on feeding you myself."

Sasuke didn't move for the bento. "What's happening outside? Where are we going?"

"We are on our way to the Land of Water. Roundabout, anyway. My job is to get a lock on Madara's movements and make sure he goes to the right place at the right time."

"You're not going after him?"

Jiraiya gave a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Trust me, I'd love to. But as I've been told not to by the few people that know what happened—so far, Naruto and Tsunade—I'm focusing all my effort into making sure Kiri succeeds. If they fail to catch him," he added, " _then_ I get to take matters into my own hands."

"Why? Your jinchuuriki is gone, and you're depending on another village to get him back?"

"No, we're depending on them to help us catch Madara. It just so happens the two goals intersect right now." Jiraiya gave an irritated _tsk._ "It's not always about the one-on-one showdown. Why would we throw away a fully formed plan that's happening in less than a week? Assuming, that is, Madara makes no move to take the Kyuubi before that. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about Naruto."

"And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were afraid of something."

Jiraiya fell silent. For a moment, Sasuke felt certain he'd succeeded in offending the Sannin, gotten through his carefree armor. But then Jiraiya sat cross-legged with an intrigued smile on his face.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything useful about Orochimaru, would you? For example, whether or not he plans on crashing this little party we've set up for Madara."

"No," Sasuke said, unsure if Jiraiya was trying to test him. "I haven't heard of it before now. It's been a while since I've seen Orochimaru, anyway."

"I bet you regret getting so distracted now that you've lost to Naruto."

Sasuke bristled immediately. "If Madara hadn't interrupted—"

"Yeah, yeah, save it. I'm not criticizing you. Believe it or not, I'm glad you stopped hanging out with Orochimaru this time. He's—well, not the same person he used to be. And he wasn't exactly a wholesome mentor before that. And that's coming from someone like me."

"I'll do whatever it takes to get stronger. But I also want to know the truth. I've already waited four years. I can put it off a little longer if it means knowing what really happened."

Jiraiya shook his head. "You've gotten caught right in the middle, huh? How about this. Even with a group effort, confronting Madara is going to be dangerous. But we stand a better chance working together than anyone will alone. If we can get him, I get the feeling a lot of our questions are going to be answered."

"If you expect me to help you—"

"Nah, you don't have to do that. I'm just saying, sticking around might be a fast-track to the answers you're looking for. For one thing, Naruto has been trying to tell you the truth all along."

"I'm not interested in whatever he thinks he knows."

"You should be. Oh, well. It's not like I'm giving you a choice as far as sticking around, anyway, but it would be nice to have your cooperation." Jiraiya nudged the bento toward Sasuke again. "There's plenty of work to do if you want to help bring Madara down. If not, you're just going to be bored for the next week or so."

Jiraiya stood up, walked backward into the wall, and vanished sooner than Sasuke expected. He went over to run his hands over that portion of the wall, but he could not tell how Jiraiya had gotten out.

Sasuke kicked the fleshy wall out of agitation.

Jiraiya still never told him what he was doing right now.

* * *

 **I posted this chapter early because I'm taking my usual break in November. This time, I will be focusing completely on original projects. I will start working on IWBTW again in December, but I will probably not resume posting until after the new year. I will update my posting schedule sometime to reflect this, and I will continue updating it periodically. Until next time!**


	33. Good Intentions

**(posted 1/13/19)**

 **CHAPTER 33 | Good Intentions**

 **After** Obito had met with Naruto outside the Sound village, he spent most of his time training daily with Fugaku. There wasn't much else _to_ do.

Minato still hadn't come back yet. Fugaku was convinced that he'd found something worth pursuing, but the Sandaime was being opaque about what that might be. In the meantime, Team Minato was not given any more missions.

Once, Obito risked going back to Naruto's timeline again. He couldn't sleep, and he had half a thought: if, maybe, this stalemate continued… maybe the sheer weight of boredom would be enough to make meeting his older self an appealing option.

But when Obito got there, he couldn't make himself say the words. Naruto and Jiraiya had made camp somewhere, and everything was dark and still. Jiraiya was laying on his side with his back to the camp, facing out over a big view of the sky and forest below. Naruto was sitting against a tree with a book held loosely in his hand, like he'd fallen asleep reading. He was leaning haphazardly to one side, snoring lightly.

In the end, Obito didn't say anything.

 _I'll come back tomorrow,_ he decided. He should talk to Kushina first—maybe she knew when Minato was supposed to come back. Until he knew, Obito couldn't promise anything. And it would be dumb to wake them up in the middle of the night just to say hello.

A soft breeze made the trees whisper. Nothing else changed, but Obito suddenly got the impression that Jiraiya was awake. Maybe the Sannin was lying too still, or maybe it was the way his head was angled slightly in Obito's direction, as if listening.

 _Tomorrow_ , Obito told himself again. After the team meeting and after training. By then he might know something. He backed away from them and disappeared.

* * *

Kushina had been completely serious about throwing Obito a congratulations party, _and_ about making Kakashi attend it.

It was under the guise of a team meeting at Minato and Kushina's house. And Kakashi showed up, because for all his scowling and complaining, he wanted an update about Minato as much as anyone else. And even he didn't dare to ignore Kushina's invitation.

"I was _furious_ ," Kushina announced from the entrance to the kitchen, holding a chef's knife like she might retroactively stab someone. "Most teams get guaranteed time off after a mission like that! But when he got back, Minato told me all of you had to stay on call. Then they immediately sent him back into enemy territory… he barely had time to say goodbye to me!"

"Do you know why?" Rin asked, leaning forward in her chair.

"Sandaime-sama is pushing too hard," Kushina continued, twirling the knife in her hand. "I mean, sure, we've gained some momentum after Iwa surrendered. And everyone wants this to end quickly. But we can't count on Kiri being so scared of Minato that they'll let him just waltz in."

"But why did he have to go by himself?" Obito said. "We're a team. What was the point of us coming back here just to sit around?"

"He had to drop off all the excess baggage," Kakashi said.

"You know that includes you, right?" Obito shot back immediately.

Kushina frowned and stopped her knife-twirling. "That's something you might have to get used to. You won't stop having missions together, but you'll be split up more often with three jounin on the team."

"He's only a _tokubetsu jounin_." Kakashi gestured at Obito with his thumb.

"Since when have you ever cared? You're only saying that because it's me."

"Ah, I'm so jealous!" Rin flopped back in the armchair with a pointed sigh. "I need to find someone to recommend me, too."

"I think Minato wanted to wait until the end of the war for all of you," Kushina said. "Being promoted at a young age in wartime—he knows what that's like. But Kakashi was gaining so much attention, it felt sort of inevitable. And then Obito got recommended by that clam-head Clan Head, of all people."

"But we are still a team," Rin said hopefully, looking at Kakashi.

"Of course! My team doesn't go on missions together much anymore, but we're still friends, and we see each other all the time," Kushina said earnestly.

"Yeah, it's too bad you're stuck with us forever," Obito said to Kakashi. Despite his words, he was grinning. Kakashi raised an unimpressed brow.

"You'll have your own missions," Rin said. "Kakashi can lead teams of his own. But don't tokubetsu jounin usually work in a specific department? Are you going to join the police?"

"Not if I can help it." Obito made a face. "If he asks me to do that, I'll just let myself get demoted."

"It's too late for that. He can't do anything to change your rank. It'll stay 'till you retire, die, or get promoted again," Kushina said.

"He still wants me to train with him every day," Obito complained. "We're going to start team training again when Minato-sensei gets back, right? What'll I do then?"

Kakashi crossed his arms. "You will just have to do both. Taking on a new position means more responsibilities. You'll have to work harder than everyone else, but you should be used to that by now."

"Ooh, Kakashi!" Kushina was suddenly beside him, poking his cheek. "Coming from you, that was almost saying something nice, 'ttebane! You've already accepted Obito's promotion, haven't you?"

"No, I meant that he's always catching up…" Kakashi leaned away, not equipped to handle Kushina's teasing. He gave Rin a silent look asking for help.

"You have to go today too, don't you?" Rin asked Obito, clearly suppressing a smile. "Be sure not to overeat before you go."

"What?" Obito said in horror. Kushina's home cooking was the best in the entire world, and he was somehow _not_ supposed to eat as much as possible?

"Don't worry, you can take all the leftovers home," Kushina said, straightening up. "Speaking of that, I need to go check on it."

They moved into the kitchen shortly afterward to eat. Kushina had made a gigantic pot of mixed seafood stew. It was delicious and savory, with crab and scallops and soup vegetables, and just spicy enough that Obito's mouth was burning after the first bowl. Kushina informed him that it was much milder than usual, as she never held back when it was just her and Minato.

Everything was so good that it didn't take them long to get through the meal. After a while, Obito was finally able to relax and allow himself to feel a little excited and happy about his promotion.

Even Kakashi started being less of a stick in the mud than usual.

"Okay!" Kushina said. "It's time for gifts!"

"You didn't give me anything, so I saw no reason to give you something," Kakashi said. Obito shrugged. That was no more or less than to be expected. Then Kakashi added, "But since Minato-sensei isn't here, I picked something on his behalf."

Obito took the offered scroll warily, half certain it would blow up in his face if he tried to open it. He unrolled it partway, holding it at arm's length.

The scroll described a wide array of bukijutsu techniques. Despite the ordinariness of the contents, Obito winced. Fugaku had made it very clear that his weapons skills weren't up to Uchiha standards. They'd already spent entire days just doing target practice.

"Thanks," Obito said, trying not to let it sound too genuine. Just on principle.

Rin gave him the same kind of medipack she'd given Kakashi for his promotion. Obito's hands fumbled over the box as he accepted it and thanked her. But he couldn't help feeling the faintest twinge of disappointment as he set the second gift beside the first.

Kushina gave him a narrow envelope. It was stuffed with a thick sheaf of papers covered in ink designs. Seals.

"These will help you conceal your presence on missions," she explained. "Sometimes, your jutsu might not be enough to find the information you need. These will let you disguise yourself with a strong henge, while making it so that others can't sense your presence."

"You made these?" Obito asked, shuffling through the seals carefully.

"Of course I did!"

"Thanks, auntie Kushina." Obito gave her a grin and put the seals in his bag. He planned to let Naruto have them as soon as he left training and paid a visit to that timeline. It wouldn't completely make up for his continual absence, or the delay in meeting Kushina, but he was sure Naruto would be thrilled.

"Isn't it time for you to go to Uchiha-sama's house?" Kakashi said.

Obito glanced at the clock on the wall and groaned. "You're right. I'm going to be late if I have to walk all the way back. I guess I'll—"

"Don't start relying on your jutsu to be on time," Rin said firmly.

Kushina was putting the leftover dishes into a basket. "Oh! I'll go with you part of the way and take this stuff to your apartment, so you don't have to. I wouldn't mind saying hello to Hinako-baa."

"Okay," Obito said sheepishly.

They left as soon as everything was packed up. Kushina carried the basket on her arm as they walked out into the street. Obito offered to carry it, but Kushina shot him down.

"Ne, Obito," she said as they headed toward the Uchiha district. "I know I asked you this before, but did something bad happen on your mission?"

"What do you mean?"

Kushina hummed and frowned at the road in front of them thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. I keep thinking about Minato—something was definitely on his mind. He was really vague when I asked about the mission. And they called him back again so suddenly."

"Oh." Obito looked around at the street, avoiding Kushina's gaze. "I mean, a lot happened. I'm worried, too. Especially after having a bunch of run-ins with Iwa and those deserters coming back to ambush us."

"Yeah, I know." Kushina tucked a lock of her long hair behind one ear with her free hand. "Sorry. I should just talk to him when he comes back, but sometimes I'm not sure how to. If I'm patient, whatever's bothering him usually comes out at the right time. But I'm also afraid it will be more than that, someday. That some part of him will drift out of reach."

"What do you mean?" Obito asked again, slowly.

"Can't you tell he's exhausted? Being the village's sharpest weapon isn't all it's cracked up to be. Not when it keeps you from sleeping at night."

"Are you talking about how he defeated Iwa basically by himself?" Obito hadn't given it much thought, with everything else that happened.

"I don't know. There is just so much." She gestured at the Uchiha district around them. "Like this. He can see the divide that has been between us and the Uchiha since forever. I know he hopes that you can help, but we don't want you to get in too far over your head."

"I don't want to, either. But you don't have to worry about me. When Minato-sensei becomes Hokage, I'm following him. No one else."

"Now you're talking!" Kushina looped her arm around his neck and pulled him into a surprisingly strong one-armed headlock.

"Ow!" Obito made one unsuccessful attempt to pull himself free before he simply phased through and stepped away.

"Oh, that's interesting! So you don't teleport the way Minato does."

"Not exactly. Um… I guess I go between _here_ and _not-here_ instead of here to there."

"That's so awesome." Kushina grinned at him. "No wonder Fugaku was eager to snatch you up first. He probably regrets ignoring you before now."

"Ha! Like he'd admit that."

Obito and Kushina made their way further into the District, and they both halted at a place where the street ended, and the only choice was to turn right or left.

"Congratulations, again." Kushina gave him a hug. "Don't let Fugaku give you a hard time today. Make sure he knows you're going to start training with your team again soon."

"He'll probably say the same thing Kakashi did," Obito said with a sigh.

"Probably. Say hello to Mikoto for me. Oh, and here." Kushina picked a colorful paper pinwheel out of the basket. "This is for Ita-chan."

"Okay."

Soon Obito was alone, and in less of a hurry now that he didn't have to stop at home first.

He flicked the pinwheel to make it spin. Lately, he had been trying very hard not to think about that other version of himself, but his thoughts and memories didn't want to cooperate. Obito couldn't stop himself from scanning every aspect of his life for clues like it was a crime scene.

Kushina had always invited him for meals whenever he felt lonely or rejected. Minato had been the first person to believe in his dreams instead of laughing at them. They cared for him unconditionally. How could he kill them?

How could little adoring Itachi do the same to his parents?

 _Shinobi conviction and resolve_ was one of those things teachers tried to instill in them, something those in the higher ranks were meant to live by. Fugaku reminded him of that often enough.

But somehow, they never talked about the other side of it. It never occurred to Obito that someone like Minato, who seemed to effortlessly know what was right, might struggle with it sometimes too.

* * *

Obito sat on the veranda and took a long drink of water. They were finally done training for the day, and he'd get to go home soon. It was about time for Fugaku's usual lecture on what he did wrong, how much he had disappointed his ancestors, or whatever the nitpick of the day would be.

"So, it's official now."

Obito looked up at Fugaku warily. He hadn't expected the Clan Head to make any mention about his promotion going through. They had been training hard all afternoon without a hint of it.

Obito put his water down. "Yeah, it is. I'm sort of a jounin now."

"When you finally told me you would accept the recommendation," Fugaku continued, crossing his arms behind his back, "You said you would do it if I let you follow Minato in investigating Water."

Obito half-turned to him. "Yeah, but then you called me an ungrateful brat, and threatened to take your nomination back."

"Not in so many words," Fugaku said. "It is simply not possible to send whoever we want, whenever we want."

"I know, but—"

"The Land of Water is comprised of hundreds of small islands, and Kiri-nin alter the naturally occurring mists to make it a damper to doujutsu and sensor-types. Minato aside, we've made little significant progress there."

"But if we keep fighting them from the outside, how much longer is it going to take?"

"I agree," Fugaku said, surprising him. "We will have to break through eventually. As long as they believe they have the upper hand, they will not be tempted to use the Sanbi. But we need to find a way in. That is where someone with your ability would be the most useful."

"Yeah?" Obito said excitedly.

"Ultimately, though, it is not my role to come up with battle plans. The Hokage commissions commanders and strategists of his own. The clans can only advise."

"Oh."

"If you want to be allowed to do more, you have to prove your value. And so far, your only experience behind enemy lines was as a prisoner."

"Okay, but what can I do if nobody gives me a chance?" Obito slapped his hands down on the porch for emphasis. "I could've easily gotten out of Lightning if I was strong enough to use kamui then."

"I will give you that chance," Fugaku said.

Obito stopped. "How?"

The stony lines of Fugaku's face shifted into something like a smile. But it did not look pleasant. "I do not command the Uchiha in battle the same way leaders of old did. But tradition still allows me to assign missions, provided they are approved by the Hokage first."

"You should've said that from the start! So you've got a mission already lined up for me?" Obito hardly dared to get his hopes up.

"I didn't say it from the start because I knew you would fixate on that and ignore the details." Fugaku sighed. "You _must_ understand our position."

"I understand it," Obito said. It must not have been too convincing, because Fugaku narrowed his eyes.

"If you misuse the trust I've placed in you, it will be only once. If losing my help doesn't matter to you, consider that everything you do also reflects on Minato. He did not object to your promotion, even though it would have been his duty to do so if he thought you were unfit."

"Sorry." Obito looked down. "But there _is_ a mission, right? What do you want me to do?"

"Minato reported he lost all trace of the Iwa missing-nin around the same place many of Konoha's own scouts have disappeared," Fugaku said. "There is a large, consistent patch of the jamming mist in this location. Some believe it to be Kirigakure itself, but history places the village further east and south of that point. Unless the village has changed location—while not impossible—it is most likely some kind of defensive structure. Minato thinks the same thing."

"So, you want me to check it out? Aren't they going to get Minato-sensei to do that, since he's already near there?"

"Yes, but not until we know more about it. Less important people get sent into enemy strongholds with no information. The Yellow Flash does not go out of bounds." Fugaku paused, an ironic twist set on his lips again. "Except, of course, when he rushes into Lightning to rescue his student."

"He didn't get in trouble for that, did he?" Obito furrowed his brow.

"No. Not really. After all, no one wants the Sharingan to fall into enemy hands. But now that you are a jounin, you are considered wholly responsible for yourself. _You_ must prevent the enemy from getting it, _by any means necessary_. Minato knows this as well. Hopefully he will not object to your involvement."

"He thought my missions would mostly be scouting and spying. He doesn't know you want to send me toward this unknown mist? Does the Sandaime know?"

"Scouting and spying is exactly what you will be doing. And of course the Sandaime knows—he is the one who accepted my suggestion. But this mission is completely separate from the operations of Team Minato. There was no reason for him to be consulted in this case."

Obito leaned against one of the porch's wooden posts with a frown. "No reason? I can think of at least one. Aren't we trying to figure out where those guys went?"

"No. They aren't important now. What matters most is discovering what Kiri is hiding in that mist. Leave the exploring to Minato and others. Your role is not to attack or go off course. I want to make that very clear: you must _only_ find out what is inside the mist and report back. Otherwise, you may support Minato in whatever way he sees fit. But if you are noticed, you must withdraw immediately. If you don't think you can handle that, you are still free to turn the mission down."

"Go to a place, look at what's there, and then come back? I think I can handle that. This is a test, right?"

"Essentially, yes. But there could be much for us to gain if you succeed. Will you do it?"

"I'm ready any time." Obito stood up and turned to face him.

"Good. How about right now?"

* * *

When Obito pushed back the tent door flaps, he didn't expect to see Kabuto asleep. But that didn't last long.

"Hey, Kabuto. Kabuto! Wake up!"

"Obito?" Kabuto sat up on his cot and rubbed his eyes.

"Sorry… why are you sleeping, anyway? It's not even night yet."

Kabuto put on his glasses and moved to sit on the edge of the cot. "It looks the same here no matter what time it is. It's easy for me to lose track when I'm studying."

Obito felt a stab of guilt. "I should have thought of that. I'll bring you a watch next time. Did you get my message this morning?"

"Oh, yeah. How was the party?"

"Better than I thought it would be. But more importantly—Fugaku is already letting me go to Water."

"What? Why? _How?_ " Kabuto got to his feet, looking halfway between alarmed and disbelieving.

"It's just a scouting mission. I have to prove I can sneak in without getting killed before they let me do anything for real. But it's still a chance. If I'm already there to look around, maybe I can find the Sanbi."

Kabuto trailed behind Obito as he paced from one end of the tent to the other, full of nervous energy. "Obito… maybe that's not a good idea. You haven't talked to the future Kakashi yet, right? And isn't Naruto about to go to Water in his time? You don't want to rush this."

"I know. I'll only get one shot at it, if I get any chances at all. But that's why I'm here. We need to be ready just in case, don't we?"

"Obito—"

" _I know_ , okay? I know it's too soon. But if I go there and somehow, on some off chance, it ends up right in front of me, I have to go for it. Kiri might not even be planning to use it yet. At least it'd catch them off guard."

Kabuto's brows scrunched in concern, but he nodded. "Does Minato-sensei know you're going to Water?"

"Not yet. But it's an official mission, already approved by the Sandaime. He might not be happy about it, but I don't think he'll make me go home."

"But if he's watching you…"

"Yeah. It's a long shot. I just want you to be ready. Besides, if we run into any trouble, we might need your help."

"Okay. I understand."

Obito paused. He had been expecting more of an argument. Something to help him get a sense of what was right and wrong here. But Kabuto just wanted him to stay safe. Orochimaru's former protégé was not one to question the morality of things. But there was one more person they had to bring up to speed.

"Anyway… I'm going to find Naruto," Obito said. "It's short notice, but maybe he can stay here for more backup."

"Okay."

Both fell silent. They stood there staring at each other a minute.

Nothing happened. Kabuto tilted his head in puzzlement, but didn't interrupt.

Obito felt a cold sweat break out over his skin. He activated his Sharingan and stood with his brow furrowed in concentration, hands held in the Ram seal.

"What's wrong?" Kabuto asked hesitantly.

Obito dropped his hands and loosened his focus. "I… I can't find him."

"Can't find him?"

"I can't sense his tag. Like it's gone, or like he isn't in his world anymore, or…"

Kabuto chewed his lip worriedly. "What about Orochimaru-sama?"

"No. I can't sense either of them. I can't find a path to reach that world."

The pause was heavy, ominous.

Kabuto shook his head. "Something must have happened. Maybe Naruto broke the seal."

"Even if he did, shouldn't I be able to sense Orochimaru?"

"Not if he doesn't want you to. He has complete control over his own link."

"Then something _did_ happen!" Obito sat on a folding chair and buried his face in his hands. "This is too much at once. Naruto might be in trouble, and I can't help him. I don't even know why! What if I'm cut off from that world forever?"

Forever.

"It's… it's not your fault," Kabuto said, though he sounded shaken too. "It—maybe it's not as bad as we think. Maybe nothing happened, and Naruto broke the seal on his own because they are about to go after Orochimaru-sama. Either way, all you can do is keep trying."

Obito looked up. "Even before I knew what my other self did, I decided that I'd protect him in place of his parents in that world."

"I know."

"But I've been too wrapped up in my own problems, and now that's no use either. It's too risky to go after the Sanbi by myself. Why didn't I say something the last time? I had a chance, but then…"

"Don't worry too much. You have to focus on the mission." Kabuto lightly touched his shoulder. "The best way you can help now is to stay calm. Don't go after the Sanbi, but find out as much information as possible. And maybe if you are there, and Naruto is there on the other side, you'll be close enough to reach him. Just keep trying."

"Yeah. And maybe Orochimaru will open his path again. Probably the moment it's too late to stop him," Obito said darkly. "But we don't have to wait for that. We'll find another way."

* * *

Two days felt like an eternity when it was spent mostly alone, running toward certain danger—all while frozen on the inside by the worst indecision he'd ever felt.

Obito left without telling anyone. He didn't even go home. He just pocketed the mission scroll and jumped to the furthest location he was familiar with inside the Fire country. Fugaku had instructed him to take a certain route toward Water from there.

It would have been faster if Obito jumped directly to Kiri, but no one knew he could find it. Fugaku assumed he could only jump to places he'd been before. Not only was that untrue, Obito _had_ been there before—in the future.

But he followed the plan, if only to delay the moment when he'd have to fully commit to the mission. His legs kept running, but he felt outside of himself.

More than anything, Obito hoped a pathway to Naruto's time would open before he got there. How else could he move forward?

Obito crouched down on the shoreline to check his bag one last time, sandals crunching the coarse sand. From here, he was supposed to remain unseen as possible, dodging the places Fugaku marked on the map.

His hands tightened on the canvas bag as he stared out over the water. The horizon was shrouded in mist.

 _What's the point of this?_

Getting information? Having the Uchiha acknowledge him? Supporting Minato on equal terms? None of that seemed as important as it had a few days ago. He should have agreed to be on the other side, to face his older self, even if it was painful.

Obito made his bag disappear and he stood up, brushing sand from his pants.

To get closer, even if it was in the wrong dimension, was the only idea he had right now. Maybe by going to the same place, somehow, he would be able to reach. It was a very slim chance—not least because there was no guarantee Naruto and Orochimaru would be in Water after all.

But doing _anything_ felt better than doing nothing.

* * *

 **I hope everyone had a good new year! I'm back to working on IWBTW!**

 **Chapter 34, The Place Everything Carried With You Lives, will be posted-I don't know exactly when. Updates will be sporadic unless/until I get much further ahead. This _is_ the final story arc, though, and we're looking at ~10 chapters before the ending.**

 **Until next time!**


	34. The Place Everything Carried With You

**Posted 1/25/19**

 **CHAPTER 34 | The Place Everything Carried With You Lives**

 **By** the time Jiraiya and Sasuke made it to the remotest part of the Land of Water, Sasuke had to accept brute force wasn't going to get him out of the Toad Prison.

Jiraiya hadn't stuck him to the wall since the first day, but it didn't matter. Whatever Sasuke tried, the living surface of the prison always let the Sannin leave and not him.

"If you aren't taking me back to the village," Sasuke said, "then what's the point of holding me here? I have no reason to tell Madara what you're doing."

"But telling him isn't the only way you could interfere. If not Madara, you'll go back to Orochimaru, and that would be just as bad."

Sasuke crossed his arms skeptically. "Why? If he goes after Madara, that would help you."

Jiraiya sat down on the fleshy floor and began unwrapping their food, as usual. After a moment, he gave a reluctant hum. "I hoped that, by now, you'd want to help _me_ fight Madara instead."

Sasuke gave a fake snort of laughter. "You've kept me trapped in here without telling me anything. That does not make me want to help you."

"It's generally against my policy to hand out dangerous secrets to runaways."

"But it's your choice to let me out or not. Like you said, I can't escape."

Jiraiya gave a long sigh and leaned back against the wall. Sasuke waited.

"Time's running out, isn't it?" Sasuke said. "Naruto has been gone for days. Madara probably knows by now it's a trap. The moment he realizes the Sanbi isn't going to appear, he'll leave."

"He hasn't caught on, at least not yet. Several of his spies have already been sent into Kiri. We've captured the most obvious ones, and fed false information to the better ones. Everything looks like we're preparing for the real thing."

"Are we in Kiri now?"

"No, but we're in Water. I told you, it's my job to figure out how Madara will move. If I'm lucky, maybe I can intercept him before he reaches the village. But if that fails, the people there will be ready."

"And what makes you so sure Orochimaru will be there too?"

Jiraiya closed his eyes in muted aggravation. "I'm _not_ sure. Getting Naruto back is my priority, but if Orochimaru steals Madara's eye, he steals Naruto too. And if Orochimaru obtains a space-time jutsu, it would be worse than you can imagine."

Sasuke didn't like not knowing something, and vague hints made him impatient. "Madara isn't the only one with that ability. There is another living Uchiha out there who can do the same thing. You said it's of no concern, but to me it's—"

Jiraiya gave a small, annoyed sound. "You not being caught up is becoming a pain. Alright, listen. Here is what we can do." He leaned forward. "There are some details I need to hold back, but I can give you the gist of what's been going on. At the very least, you should understand what happened to Naruto last year. Then Orochimaru or Madara can't try to hold that information over you."

"I just want to know why it matters _now_."

Jiraiya took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "And spare me the disbelief. I'm not in the mood to argue. There's something that goes beyond the types of dimensional jutsu known about before now. Something beyond moving from place to place. I guess… you could call it _time travel_."

"Time travel?" Sasuke repeated.

"I can't go into the details." Jiraiya said. "The point is, Orochimaru figured out how to do something like that, but it has limitations. He can draw a person's chakra and life energy from another time, containing them in a vessel of his own making. That leaves the person's original vessel nothing but an empty shell."

"You're saying that's what happened to Naruto."

"Right. So as I said, the technique is very limited. It's difficult to do, and it doesn't allow Orochimaru to move freely between the links he creates. But if it could be used in tandem with an ability like Madara's, that would become possible."

"And that Uchiha kid. Who is he?"

Jiraiya frowned. He hesitated, but then said, "Madara from another time. He and Naruto were both trapped by Orochimaru, so they became allies. That kid already has the ability to jump from his dimension to this one. He shows up randomly now and then. We have no way of contacting him, though. If we could, maybe we'd have a way to rescue Naruto."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. His mind was whirling with the new information, but he refused to be thrown off. "You don't know if Orochimaru is really after Madara, or this kid, or something else completely. Yet you're making plans based on him showing up in Kiri."

"Not even close. I told you, _Madara's_ our target." Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair. "We can't be everywhere. Unless you know where Orochimaru is right now?"

"I don't," Sasuke said. "But it's just as pointless to go after Madara. By now, he knows everything you're planning."

"Maybe. But that won't keep him away. He thinks no matter who shows up—Orochimaru, the Mizukage, us—that he has an unbeatable escape route. He doesn't consider it much of a risk."

"And? You have a way to beat that unbeatable escape route?"

"We can only hope. Too many unknown factors to say for sure." Jiraiya shrugged. "Hope that clears things up. I'm sure you understand, but now I definitely can't let you go. If there's still any chance of us having the element of surprise, I'd like to keep it."

Jiraiya got to his feet. Sasuke stared at his untouched meal.

"I think Madara might have Itachi. That's why I started tracking him after the first time in Kiri."

Jiraiya turned back to him slowly. "Why do you think that?"

"Itachi was supposed to be there, but he wasn't. And when I was there, Naruto told me Madara would never let me talk to Itachi. Then, when I asked Madara about it, he all but confirmed it."

"It wouldn't surprise me if Madara has been using both of you as a means to control the other. Naruto hasn't been able to track Itachi since then, either."

"What does Naruto know about Itachi?"

Jiraiya waved his hand in a lazy gesture. "Just whatever Itachi told him. Do you want to rescue him, too?"

"I wouldn't say that," Sasuke murmured. "But there's one thing I do know. He can't die—not until I've had the chance to face him."

"Hm?" Jiraiya tapped his chin thoughtfully. "If they're in the same place, you can bet Naruto has been spending way too much time trying to figure out how to free them both. The trouble is, where they are is trickier to escape than my Toad Prison."

* * *

Kakashi walked up the worn stone stairs at the end of the long tunnel, blinking in the sunlight.

"This is the place?" Sakura stopped beside him and looked all around.

From here, all they could see was the trees of the island, and the sea stretching out all around.

"They must be further in." Kakashi pointed. "There's a path."

As they got closer, the trees parted and revealed the path into the woods. They walked along it, and soon a low tower rose into view. It was like many of the round buildings in Kirigakure. But this one made Kakashi stop in his tracks.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura turned around. Kakashi kept staring up at the building.

"Whatever happens, if I tell you to run, you need to run." He put his hands in his pockets. "This is Kiri's operation. We agreed to help, but ultimately, it's up to them."

He could tell she wanted to argue. She opened her mouth, then closed it frowning. Then she said, "That aside, we're not going home without Naruto."

"Rescuing Naruto is our top priority," Kakashi agreed. "If Kiri fails to capture Madara, we'll meet up with Jiraiya-sama and decide on our next move."

Konoha had brought very few, but one of those few was Tsunade herself. Despite objections from Shizune and her advisors, she was the first one to board a boat and come here.

Kakashi had been there when her bunshin left the village, a decoy bound for Suna to watch the Exams. The news of Naruto's capture had lit a fire under her like never before.

And she was there now, talking with Mei in front of the tower. Ao stood a pace behind his Kage, looking around looking at everyone doing their work, setting up traps all along the perimeter of the island. He stared at Kakashi and Sakura as they approached.

Mei was speaking. "I respect Jiraiya-sama's intuition, but we were prepared for that the moment we lost Yagura. If Orochimaru intends to bring the real Sanbi into this, or it shows up on its own, we will be ready. We are setting up a barrier around the island. If that time comes… Ao has asked to accept it." She gave Ao a sidelong glance.

"Good, you're here." Tsunade acknowledged Kakashi and Sakura with a nod, but kept talking to Mei. "I'm glad you're prepared, but I hope that won't happen. The process may be tougher on an older person." She too looked at Ao.

Ao crossed his arms. "Tougher or not, we don't intend to force that fate on anyone who cannot decide it for themselves ever again."

Tsunade smiled. "I like the sound of that."

"We have a lot to make up for," Mei said.

"You aren't the only ones," Kakashi murmured, almost as if to himself.

* * *

Naruto's eyes opened a sliver. Consciousness brought with it a terrible, radiating headache. Even the low, neutral light of the kamui dimension sent his head throbbing.

He closed his eyes and waited for the spinning to stop. The stone surface underneath his cheek was cool, and it was so nice in comparison that he felt like he could sink directly into the floor and go back to sleep forever.

 _You're finally awake. Can you hear me?_

' _Kurama?'_ Even inside his head, Naruto sounded tired. _'What happened?'_

 _We were captured by the enemy, idiot. Your precious Uchiha friends have nearly gotten us killed, and if we stay here for much longer, we will be._

' _Wait—what day is it? The plan—'_

 _If I'm right, he should be on the way there soon. Jiraiya never told us when they were going to do it, but it can't be more than a few hours away._

Naruto made to sit up, but a hand pushed lightly against his chest.

"Do not move too suddenly," Itachi said. "You'll be sick."

"Itachi!" Naruto winced at his own voice, suddenly understanding why people always told him to lower the volume. He pressed a hand against his head and closed his eyes to ease the spinning that threatened to upend his stomach.

Itachi was sitting on the ground beside him. "You have healed enough to regain consciousness, but you are still recovering. It will take some time for the effects of Tsukuyomi to wear off."

"We don't have time!" Naruto said through gritted teeth. "It's all happening soon. Me being stuck here is only going to make it harder for everyone."

"You said before you might have a way to escape?"

Naruto sat up slowly, closing his eyes against the dizziness that threatened to overtake him again. "Aa. I can call one of my Toad summons and have them reverse-summon me back. But last time I did that, I had to be in Sage Mode to make it work. And there's another problem, too… if they call me, I'll be on their mountain, and that's nowhere near where I wanna be."

"At this point, protecting your life comes first," Itachi said. "Once you are free, you can let the others know you've escaped. That will allow them to fight freely."

"I need Obito's help. We could make it there in an instant." Naruto rubbed the space between his eyes, brow furrowed.

"I haven't seen anyone else here."

"I guess he didn't want to face his older self after all. Or maybe he can't jump into a different kamui." What was it he had said about other versions of the pocket dimension? Naruto couldn't remember.

"Whatever the case, you need to act quickly. Madara intends to move you somewhere else before he leaves to retrieve the Sanbi. No matter what happens to him, you will still be in Akatsuki's hands. You need to warn your friends not to come after him."

Naruto frowned. "But the Toads can't summon you, since you don't have the contract. I'll just have them send a message, then we can find another way out. If we're—"

"There is no _we_ in this," Itachi said. "There is no time. Either you leave now of your own accord, or you leave with Madara."

Naruto sat back on his heels. "I'll try it without the Mode first, just in case it works. It'll take me a while to get into the Mode here." He shifted to make some space and raised his hand close to his mouth, hesitating. "I _will_ find a way to get you out. Wait for me, okay?"

Naruto bit down on his thumb. He raised his hand in the air, but as he moved to slam it down, a gloved hand caught his wrist.

"What is this?" Tobi asked as Naruto bent his head back to look.

Naruto swore loudly. Itachi got to his feet.

"Itachi. You don't make a very good guard, it seems. Do you even want to be free?" Tobi asked.

To Naruto's surprise, Itachi laughed softly. "You should reconsider the decision to push me, _Madara_. Even caged beasts know how to bite."

"They also know how to die."

The grip on Naruto's arm grew painful. He forcefully pulled away and Tobi, surprisingly, let him.

"You have no reason to keep Itachi here," Naruto said. "If you don't let him go, you won't just have me to deal with. You'll have Sasuke after you, too."

Tobi answered Itachi, as if he'd been the one to say it. "I told you I would let you go free completely if you went along to Water to distract Konoha's forces. But it might suit you better to stay locked up here. You can keep the Sanbi company after I retrieve it. If you're lucky, maybe it will kill you quickly instead of taking you apart piece by piece."

Tobi didn't move as Naruto charged through him, his punch meeting nothing but air. Naruto turned to attack again, but Tobi had already disappeared. One second later, he was pulled out of the kamui dimension.

Naruto stumbled into a dim, windowless cavern made of stone. The space was dimly lit by stubby, flickering candles set into sconces all around the wall.

Naruto took a step back the moment he could move again, quickly scanning the room. On one side, there was something that looked like trunk of a massive tree, though he couldn't tell if it was made of ancient wood or stone. The roots rose up from the packed dirt floor like gnarled fingers.

"I have an appointment to make. I'll deal with you later," Tobi said.

"Wait!" Naruto called as he turned away. "There's nothing stopping me from leaving here. And there's no point for you to go to Kiri. The Sanbi isn't there."

"I think you'll find both of those things are untrue." Tobi gestured, and two strange beings emerged from the shadows clinging to the walls.

Naruto thought he recognized one of them from the future Nagato's descriptions of Akatsuki's members. He—it?—had a mostly human-looking form, but a flytrap-like head and a face that was split down the middle, black and white. Zetsu, the one their vessels had been cloned from.

The other one had a vaguely similar look to the plant clones Naruto had fought in the future, but its face converged into a spiral in lieu of human features. It moved like a human, though, and waved energetically at him from behind the other two.

"This room is also sealed off. Even if you were to release the Kyuubi in here, you would not be able to escape. I wouldn't recommend trying it." Tobi inclined his head toward Zetsu. "Let's go."

"I know who you really are," Naruto tried again. "Not just your name. I know you grew up alone, and hardly anyone in the Uchiha clan ever paid attention to you. That's why the few bonds you did have mattered to you so much."

"Ooh, he has you all figured out, doesn't he?" Zetsu mocked.

"More of Orochimaru's meddling," a rough voice seemed to come out of the same being. It made the hairs on Naruto's neck stand on end.

"It doesn't matter," Tobi said. "However the snake found out, who I am means nothing. What name I use means nothing. Nothing outside of my goals is of any consequence."

"That's right! You won't reach him that way, little fox," The spiral-faced being said cheerfully.

Naruto ignored them and rested his thumb against his chest. "You know, your heart is big enough to care about more than one thing. Even if you can't love yourself completely, there are others who care about you. Even now." He looked at the two strange beings. "You guys are wrong if you think you can hide from Orochimaru here. He's not after me anymore, but he could be trying to get Obito's eye."

Tobi bristled. "Enough. We don't have time for this. Let's go."

Naruto stubbornly continued on. "Why do you have to care about only the things Madara told you to? If he's gone, why do you have to do what he says? Can't you think for yourself?"

He could have sworn Zetsu narrowed its eyes at him.

Tobi turned back to look at him. Naruto saw his Sharingan glowing through the mask. "The trouble with caring is that you can lose. I really had intended to let Itachi go. But now, because you care for him, he will die. If I somehow fail to catch the Sanbi… I'll do it myself." He gave a careless gesture. "It's only a shame his eyes are unsalvageable. But maybe spending a few weeks with his corpse will change your mind."

Naruto felt like he'd been kicked in the chest again. He couldn't say anything as Tobi turned and disappeared, along with Zetsu. The only one left was the strange spiral-faced one.

"Well, _that's_ a tough break. You reaaally must have ticked him off! Just between you and me?" The thing came closer and bent to stage-whisper. "I think it's because you reminded him how he used to be. Nothing makes him madder than that."

"That's… not him." Naruto felt like his lungs were being squeezed.

"You seem like a good kid." Spiral-face patted him on the head. "Do yourself a favor and shut up about Madara from now on, okay? Otherwise, I think my colleague might cut out your tongue."

Naruto punched the thing in the jaw. It felt spongey, almost soft. Spiral-face backpedaled a few paces. Its head was turned to an unnatural extent, but it came back fluidly to stare at him again.

"Let it all out! You don't want to be—hey, where are you going?"

Naruto had taken advantage of the creature's distraction by running to the wall of the cave. He scanned the wall, running his hands along it, searching for anything that could signal a way out.

"It's no use," Spiral-face said. "This place is deep underground. Unless you can go through meters of solid rock—well, I suppose the Kyuubi could do it, but then you'd be crushed by the barrier surrounding this place."

Naruto turned his gaze to the tree trunk taking up a large portion of the cave wall. If it went up all the way to the surface, there had to be a way out there.

He started over, but the thing stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you're not very fun to hang out with. I expected more shouting and raving. Maybe even some Kyuubi action."

"I have bigger things to worry about than some plant-clone or whatever the hell you are." Naruto shrugged roughly out of the thing's grasp and continued toward the tree trunk.

"But if you keep trying to find a way out, I'll have to knock you out, and standing guard with no one to talk to is really boring."

"Yeah? Go ahead and try it. Listening to you talk is getting on my nerves." Naruto turned around and bared his fist.

He took one step toward the plant-thing, but before he could do anything else, it came unraveled from the spiral down, becoming a pair of legs topped with writhing, waving pointed branches. The bizarre limbs shot out and grabbed Naruto. The rest of its body opened up at once like a jaw and encased him whole.

The more Naruto struggled, the more the plant-substance tightened around him. It was difficult to breathe. He swore and yelled and cursed, but it didn't budge.

That was its plan, he realized. To suffocate him until he passed out.

Naruto closed his eyes and gathered up his focus. His full Sage Mode relied on contact with some kind of plant energy. And what had happened when he pulled Sasuke out of the water during their last fight… maybe he was able to pull out Sage energy directly at its source.

"Oh, is that the Hokage's technique? Nice try! But too bad. That's the last thing that'll work on someone like me," it sang. The voice sounded like it was coming from inside and outside his head at the same time.

It started walking, and Naruto along with it, but the movement didn't matter. The plant-thing was his conduit now, and if it didn't let him go, he would continue to steal more and more of its energy.

Spiral-face faltered. "Eh? What is this?"

Naruto felt it raise up their hands to look. He couldn't see what effect he was having, but he could feel the material binding him become tougher, more inflexible.

A thought darted across his mind—he might really suffocate. He tugged at the energy with more force, frantically, not sure what else to do. Spiral-face was still yammering away, its voice becoming higher-pitched and frantic. But Naruto could hardly hear it.

But then the voice stopped, and the struggle stopped. Then Naruto was trapped inside an unmoving husk.

He still couldn't breathe, and that thought superseded all others. He tried to move his arms. The material around him moved with difficulty and split and cracked at his movement, but he was able to tear pieces of it away from his mouth to take gasping breaths.

Once he had enough oxygen to clear the fog and panic that had been creeping into his mind, Naruto started peeling more of the stuff away from him so he could climb out.

It wasn't like like stone, and it wasn't like the living, tree-mass he'd become right before he left the future. The shell of the thing stayed standing when Naruto pulled himself out of it. This time, he'd stolen energy, not poured it out. It looked like the withered stalk of a plant that had gone unwatered too long.

Naruto shuddered and averted his gaze from the creepy thing to the massive tree. And then he promptly forgot all about it.

The sense-sight that accompanied his Sage Mode was fuller, clearer, and more vibrant than it had ever been. The tree lit up his senses like a fireworks display.

Mouth open slightly in awe, Naruto walked a little closer to it. The air stung his skin with an incredible energy. Even without trying, he could feel the way it flowed to the surface and down further into the ground, branching out into millions of points, embracing both the earth and sky.

Naruto caught a glow at the edge of his vision and blinked. His necklace had risen out of his collar and was floating in front of him, emitting a soft green glow. Naruto closed his hand over the stone and took several steps backward. He felt the tree's hold on him dim just a little, but it also stretched, like invisible hands reaching out.

Something about it was magnetic. Almost—almost _sentient_. He somehow knew it wanted him to come closer.

They hadn't been lying about a barrier surrounding the room. Naruto could feel it along the edges of the room and the way it wrapped around the tree trunk. It was designed to keep him confined in the smaller space. He wouldn't be able to sense anything beyond this room unless he used the tree.

' _Kurama, what do you think?'_

 _This power is like his._

' _Whose?'_

A long pause.

 _I say use it. But don't let it consume you the way you consumed that thin g._

Naruto gulped, but he stepped forward. He let the necklace go and it drifted upward, the stone's end pointing toward the tree like the needle of a compass. Its glow grew even brighter as he approached.

He laid his hand on the rough surface of the tree trunk and closed his eyes.

A white void rushed all around. Warm light washed over him and made everything bright. Naruto couldn't tell if his eyes were still closed or not.

There was something… something about this was familiar.

"I'm… back," Naruto murmured confusedly, and his voice had a soft echo. "The place where…"

"You shouldn't have been able to return here," the familiar man with dark brown hair said. He appeared in front of Naruto, but it was like he'd always been there.

"You said I could only get here if I was—" Naruto tried to look down at himself, but yelped when he couldn't see anything. "What happened to my body? What is going on?"

"Don't panic. Your life energy is still connected to your body. This wasn't caused by Orochimaru's technique."

"Then why am I here? And why are you always here? Who are you?"

The young man smiled, his warm brown eyes sympathetic. "My name is Ashura. I'm here because you and I—the version of me that's me and the version of you that's you—are tied together by energy and by fate. I am no longer alive, but I exist here instead of the Pure World. I am not bound by the normal conception of time and space."

"So, you're a ghost?" Naruto tried to cross his arms, but he didn't have any.

"There's something much more urgent to discuss. You are in danger of losing your consciousness inside the tree. Your energy has become similar enough to its own that it calls you to stay and share its life forever. If you stay attached, your body might very well survive for another millennia. But it will become harder and harder to hold on to your individuality and will."

"Wh-what do I do?"

"Find your way back using Kurama. He will be your anchor. After that, you will need to focus in order to assert your will. It has been done before. Uchiha Madara survived for years beyond his time by attaching himself to the tree. Yet his will remained."

" _Madara?_ " Everything Ashura said just made things more confusing. "Wait, I remember now. I was trying to track Obito and everyone in Kiri. Ashura, do you know I can get out of this cave?"

"Once you find your way back, you should be full of enough power to break their defenses. A passive barrier held up by seals is not so versatile. They have only tried to confine you so that you cannot use bijuu energy."

"Great," Naruto said decisively. "Okay. It was good to see you and all, but I'm heading back now."

"Wait—there's something I have to tell you. It has to do with your friend from another dimension."

"You mean the younger Obito?"

"Yes. Orochimaru has cut Obito's tie to this world. But I don't think Orochimaru realizes what altering the worlds has done. There is a deeper sense of order beyond you and I, beyond all the dimensions, and his actions are bound to have consequences for that order. He doesn't see the echoes radiating from Obito's time to yours and back again. Something is bound to break if he doesn't stop."

Naruto felt a flicker of Kurama's energy. He could almost hear the fox calling to him. But he focused on Ashura, trying to cling to the space a moment longer.

"Is Obito in danger?"

"The closer he walks beside his older self, the more danger he faces. The barrier between the worlds is more tenuous for him than it is for anyone else, though Orochimaru is working to surpass even that. Orochimaru wishes to consume the true power of the world wherever he can find it. There is a being whose plans he seeks to foil in any given timeline, as it would interfere with his own ambitions. At the war's ending and beyond, he spent time scouring the world for any remnants of that power, and assimilated them all. His power is already greater than you know. But he doesn't consider it complete until he obtains the perfect vessel. He is very capable of destroying the Zetsu of your time."

"Zetsu?" Naruto was terribly lost again. "I—I thought he was after the older Obito."

"He wants both," Ashura said. "The power to cross dimensions, and a more powerful vessel. A remnant energy that will push the _kamui_ ability far beyond its natural limits."

Naruto exhaled. He found himself back in the cave as abruptly as he left it. His hand was still held out in front of him, but he was standing further back from the tree, and the nails of his hand were elongated. As he watched, they sunk back into their normal size and shape.

 _Are you with me, kid?_

Naruto's mouth hung open slightly. He could hardly comprehend what he'd just experienced.

"We're going after Obito," he said. "He's the one at the center of this. Even if we have to tell him the truth, we can't let the world break."

* * *

 **Chapter 35, Broken Mirrors Are Bad Luck, will post _no later than_ Feb 28, though ideally it will be sooner.**

 **Until next time!**


	35. Broken Mirrors Are Bad Luck

**(posted 2/1/19)**

 **CHAPTER 35 | Broken Mirrors Are Bad Luck**

 **Obito** was to meet Minato on one of the dozens of tiny islands surrounding the area they were supposed to be investigating. According to Fugaku, Minato was instructed to stay there until his Uchiha backup arrived.

Obito was all too aware that Minato would sense him getting closer. As he ran across sea and small patches of land, he half-expected his sensei to appear beside him at any moment, demanding to know what Obito was doing in Water.

But Minato didn't appear. And that somehow made Obito feel even more nervous as he approached the little spit of land just outside the jamming mist.

Heeding Fugaku's instructions, Obito activated his Sharingan and carefully inspected the ground, the undergrowth, and the trees. He didn't see any traps—or any other signs of life, for that matter.

But then Obito heard a soft bird call, and he looked up. Minato dropped down and landed silently a few feet away from him. Obito hadn't noticed him at all.

"You're late," Minato said, voice lowered. Obito imitated him.

"Sorry, I—Fugaku and Sandaime-sama picked me to help. To back you up however I can, sens—um, taichou." Despite all the missions they'd already done, being there as something more like an equal suddenly hit Obito, making him stumble over his words.

"I thought that must be it. I'm surprised, but it seems you're just as surprised." Minato paused, thinking. "What are your instructions?"

Obito straightened his spine and tried to look as professional as possible. "I'm supposed to scout ahead and report what I find to you. Then I can go home, or, um… 'await further instruction as Minato-taichou sees fit'."

Despite everything, Minato gave a small, amused smile. "You don't have to be so formal. We're a team, just as we've always been. I don't expect Kakashi or you to address me any differently."

Obito sagged in relief. "Fugaku thought I'd be good for this mission because we can find each other easily without having to communicate. And I can jump out right away if anything happens."

Minato nodded. "I see. I might have come up with the same idea if you were someone else's student. Sorry for overlooking you like that, Obito."

Obito's cheeks were burning, but he busied himself adjusting his goggles to try to hide it. "It's no big deal. It's usually everyone except you, so I can forgive it this once." He only faced Minato again when he thought he could do it without breaking into an idiotic grin. "So what is the situation here? Did you ever find those guys from Iwa?"

"No," Minato said, seriousness returning to his eyes. He looked out over the water. The jamming mist began gradually, but it turned into a veritable wall of swirling gray not far from where they stood. "It seems no one outside of Kiri has been able to make it further than this. I only found this spot by tracking the tags of the deserters. My Hiraishin works this far in, but I can't sense anything else beyond the mist. Judging by what I felt when their signatures disappeared, and where, I don't think it was the mist that caused it. They were killed by something on the other side. Given what we know about Kirigakure's location, I think it could be a stronghold they want to keep both protected and nearby. A base, maybe, or a prison."

Obito tried to remember anything useful from his last visit to Kirigakure. But he and Naruto had always been inside the village.

Minato continued. "Since the village itself is a fortress, I'm hoping it's the latter. It could mean that some of the people we lost in battle or scouting across the border could still be alive. The mist could be partly to prevent escape. But we won't be able to move forward until we know what it is. Sandaime-sama sent even more people out to widen the scope of what we know and find another way in, but things like this can be valuable too."

Obito could tell Minato wasn't the most concerned about expanding Konoha's map. He wanted to know if there were people that could still be saved.

"Who else did Sandaime-sama send?" Obito asked.

"On the other side of Water, to the north-east, the Sannin are systematically searching. They are to get as far as they can and report their findings, as well."

 _I really am out of place here_ , Obito thought. What was Fugaku thinking? But—

"The Sannin?" he blurted out. "Orochimaru is here?"

Minato gave him a curious look. "The whole set. Remember when, during our last mission, they were looking for a way through Iwa's territory? They are back to do that here in Water."

"I thought Jiraiya-sama said they were going home."

"They did go home. They were back before we were. Is something wrong?"

If the Sannin were all the way on the other side of the country, they probably wouldn't run into them. But their involvement was off-putting. If Minato saw Jiraiya and acted like they met recently, it would lead to questions Obito could not answer in front of the others.

Then there was Orochimaru, the one belonging to his time, who he'd completely forgotten about. Even though that version was nothing compared to his older self, Obito couldn't stop fear from sneaking into his heart.

He pulled out the tagged kunai he'd once used to find his way toward the Orochimaru in Naruto's world. He tried to sense something from it. But it was silent as ever. The slip of paper was blank.

"What's that?" Minato asked, making Obito blink.

"This?" He didn't know what to say. It felt like his brain was stuck. The tag would look to anyone like an ordinary paper bomb that hadn't been written yet, but the truth was a lot bigger than that, and there was a lot of that truth he hadn't told yet.

Minato frowned. The gears in his head were obviously turning. But when he spoke, he sounded careful and kind. "All you have to do is keep watch here with your Sharingan. I'll go in and see what's there. I'll place my mark somewhere hidden and then jump back here. Then you can deliver my report to the Sandaime."

The subtle suggestion that he go home shook Obito from his stupor. Secrets aside, there was no way he was leaving Minato alone here. Not in Kiri.

"I don't think so." Obito put the kunai away and looked up at Minato. "You're planning on rescuing anyone you find, right? I want to help."

"We don't know for sure what's there."

"But if there are prisoners, you've already thought of a plan for you plus one Uchiha to get them out, haven't you?"

Minato blinked, then laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "You got me."

"So tell me what it is. I'm as good as any of those guys in the police force."

If Minato doubted that assertion, he didn't say so. "Alright. We go through the mist together. But since it could be there to _detect_ as well as interfere with our senses, I want to avoid walking through it at all. I've already tested it, and I can throw my markers beyond the wall."

"Don't they land in the water?"

"Yes. But if I throw another and jump before it sinks too far, I can land on the surface."

"What about me?"

"My idea was to come back for the Uchiha after I saw what was on the other side. But could you jump directly to where I am without seeing me?"

Obito touched his own shoulder with his other hand. "I don't know for sure. But I _can_ land somewhere I can't see, if I know which direction and how far."

"Could you use a map to do that?"

Obito nodded. "I think so."

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind. But for now, wait for me. Once I've sized up their defenses, we can move on to the next stage."

* * *

A soft _plop_ sound caught Jiraiya's attention, and he looked down. It was a messenger toad, hopping out of the water onto the sand.

"What's this?"

The toad croaked loudly and Jiraiya bent to take the scroll strapped to its back.

"From the Mizukage?" Sasuke asked. He was standing nearby, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. Close, but wary. Jiraiya had released him from the Toad Prison under the condition that he stay until the mission was over.

"No. This isn't one of the toads I sent out."

"Then…"

Jiraiya straightened and unrolled the message. His heart leapt at the familiar scrawl of Naruto's handwriting across the page, and his eyes jumped from line to line. He read through it once quickly and then again more carefully. Jiraiya folded the paper and put it away.

He knew Sasuke was watching, waiting for him to say something. So he said, "Naruto escaped. Madara took him to some kind of holding cell in order to make room for the Sanbi in his pocket dimension. Madara knows about our trap, but he seems to really think the Sanbi will appear in that place. I'm glad we've prepared for that."

"But?" Sasuke asked, sensing his hesitation.

Jiraiya sighed. "…You were right. Madara has Itachi trapped there too. Naruto is searching for them now."

Sasuke pushed away from the tree and paced toward the edge of the water. "Then what are we doing standing here? I thought you were going to catch Madara before he could make it to Kiri."

"That's a lot easier said than done. Even if Naruto tracks him using Sage Mode, we're all stuck with the same limitation: we can only see Madara when he's not using kamui. The Mizukage has a strong barrier around the target island, but he could still go directly there if he wanted to. We know that."

"Then—"

"Then, our only chance to catch him out here is if he hangs back out of caution, or to wait for something to happen. That's why we spent today putting down those traps and detection seals. It's a small chance, but it's a whole lot better than nothing, and it's better than twiddling our thumbs waiting in Kiri."

As he talked, Jiraiya scribbled a note on the other side of Naruto's scroll. He put in the harness the toad was wearing. "Take this to Tsunade."

"So that's it? All we can do here is wait?" Sasuke demanded.

"The Mizukage has people stationed in a radius all around the island. They're supposed to fire flares if they see anything. They're as likely to find Madara as we are. So, no. There's no reason for us to stay in this particular spot. Now we know that Naruto's free, I want to meet back up with Tsunade and Kakashi. There might be a change of plans."

"I'm not going where they are."

"How did I know you would say that?" Jiraiya raised a brow. "You want to stay here? Be my guest. But if you don't come to Kiri with me now, you're not going at all. It'll make things too complicated if you come barging in during the middle of things like before."

"And you're going to stop me from that far away?"

Jiraiya pointed at the ground. A medium-sized toad sat there, staring up at Sasuke, blinking slowly.

"Not me. Come too close to that island, and you'll end up in little Gama-chan's stomach again."

* * *

"The island isn't very big," Minato said, almost whispering as they huddled on the other side of the jamming mist. "They don't have anyone posted out here, only guards around the building."

"So, it _is_ a prison?" Obito whispered back.

"I'm almost certain. And… we may be much closer to the Hidden Village than our maps say. I could see another cliff face from the other side of the island, and the mist goes on further, surrounding the entire area. If that's true, and our map information is inaccurate, that alone is a major discovery."

"So, what's next?" Obito stared toward the island, a barely visible smudge in the haze. Though it was still daytime, inside the protective wall of mist everything looked dark, like they were cupped underneath a glass filled with smoke.

"I want to free the people inside," Minato said. "If we really are close to the village, it will be even riskier than I thought. But the prisoners could be a valuable source of information."

"Even if we sneak in and out, they'll know someone was here when people go missing."

"Yes. They will know." Minato's voice was laced with steel. "They will also know that, unless they can find and destroy all of my marks, they won't be able to stop me from coming back."

Obito nodded and stood from his crouch on the water. "Tell me what I need to do."

"There could be traps in the water and on the island itself. I need you to find as many as you can and replace them with our bombs. If we are discovered, those can serve as a distraction. Once losing the element of surprise, we might as well make them think there's a full-scale assault. Place these on land, too." Minato held out a cloth pouch that clinked faintly. His daggers.

Obito reached to take them, but his hand faltered. He lowered it. He chewed his lower lip.

"Obito?"

"Sorry, sensei," Obito said. "You once told us we were allowed to question your orders as long as it was safe to stop and talk about it. I like your plan, but I think the roles should be switched."

"You want to go in there, while I stay outside?" From Minato's tone, Obito could tell he'd really have to sell it.

"Yeah. I think that would suit each of our abilities more. You would be great at making it look like a whole army is attacking. Even if you showed up just as yourself, that would distract them enough. And if I go in… maybe I'm not as good as you or Kakashi at sneaking normally, but if I use kamui, I can move without being seen."

"Relying on your special ability too much can become a weakness, if you end up in a situation where you can't use it."

Obito sucked in a breath, then blew it out. "I know. That's why I've been training so hard. Fugaku's been putting me through the paces every day since you left! But no one knows about me yet. It'll be a while before anyone can figure out how to beat my ability."

* * *

"Uchiha Obito, missing-nin of Konoha," Mei said, pacing in front of the assembled shinobi. "Presumed killed in action during the Third Shinobi World War, now posing as his ancestor Madara. Konoha has agreed to help us bring him in."

Kakashi stood and listened attentively just like everyone else, but his gaze was fixed in one spot without moving. He saw Sakura give him a questioning glance, but he didn't turn to look back at her.

Tsunade nodded. "Here's what we know. His space-time jutsu allows him to phase his body through solid objects. But he can't phase and interact at the same time. Everyone should stay back and attack continuously. After a certain amount of time—at least several minutes—he won't be able to hold himself between dimensions anymore, and will no longer be able to go intangible. We don't know how long before he can use it again. In addition, he may not be able to react to attacks he can't perceive. But since that is the Sharingan's specialty, it would be difficult for those of us without it to pull that off. I'm counting on you, Kakashi."

Sakura was still staring at him with puzzlement and concern sketched across her face.

But Kakashi just lowered his head in a nod. "Yes."

* * *

"There's another reason I should go," Obito continued. "You can only transport one or two people at a time, and they have to be out in the open with you. I could take everyone in that place with me and still stay hidden."

Obito could tell this was the point that made Minato really start to consider his idea. Minato closed his eyes and crossed his arms, thinking.

"It'll be much faster, and safer for everyone," Obito pressed. "If there's any trouble at all, I can warp out and meet you back on the island."

"You're right." Minato lowered his arms. "If you really think you're up for it, that's what we will do. But I want your abilities to stay unknown for as long as possible. Do you have a hood or cloak you can wear to hide your identity from the guards and prisoners?"

"Yeah." Obito pulled off his goggles and jacket with the Uchiha crest on it and replaced them with a black traveling cloak with a deep hood. For a split second, he thought about getting out his older self's mask. Broken as it was, it would still cover most of his face. But he dismissed the thought just as quickly. He wouldn't wear anything that bastard had worn.

"I'm ready," he said, throwing the hood up over his head. "We can do this. And if we can't, at least we know there's no walls ever made that can hold us in. We'll make it back and I can rub it in Kakashi's face that I got to do a jounin mission with you."

Minato huffed a chuckle. "Alright. We'll regroup at the same place. Good luck, and be careful. Scatter!"

Minato threw his first dagger and disappeared. Obito took a deep breath and stepped into the space between.

* * *

Tobi saw the barrier surrounding the island and knew it wasn't there to keep him out. Whether they were actually prepared for the Sanbi, or just continuing with their ruse, the Mizukage had her people out in full force.

But it wasn't enough to be considered an obstacle.

Zetsu was checking all the small outer islands, making sure no interference would come from outside. Tobi would not let himself be foiled by Orochimaru yet again.

He took a step forward and slipped into nothing.

* * *

Obito phased through the stone wall in one of the underground levels. He had hovered just beyond the surface of his world to remain unseen long enough to find a level that looked empty.

This sort of near-invisibility was tough, but his Sharingan training with Fugaku had already improved his control enough to make it possible. Not that he'd ever admit it to the Clan Head's face.

The lowest level of the dungeon looked abandoned. All of the underground floors seemed older than the structure above, but this one looked particularly bleak. The only lights were narrow panels close to the ceiling and along the row of cells, dimmed to half the brightness as above.

Obito lowered the cowl of his hood and exhaled vapor into the chilly air. He was crouched in one of the cells, getting his bearings while hidden in the darkness in case someone came along.

The place smelled strongly of old sewage and mildew. Maybe that was why no one was kept here anymore. Obito tried not to look too carefully at the cell's interior as he phased through the bars and stuck one of Minato's daggers between two loose stones in the wall.

He peered back and forth down the row. To his left was a set of stairs that led to a heavy steel door. From what he'd seen so far, that was the way up to the next floor.

 _What next?_

He'd only caught glimpses of the prisoners above, but it was impossible to tell who they were or what village they came from. Everyone was dressed in the same roughspun clothes. But they were all enemies of their enemy, so for now that was enough.

And maybe one of them would have the information he so badly wanted.

Obito looked up at the ceiling. The best way would be to climb up through the floor and start moving fast. He'd already jotted a quick note for Kabuto. The young medic would have to explain things to the prisoners and help them, if necessary.

Despite the smell, Obito took another deep breath to help settle his nerves and let out a big cloud of vapor.

The particles of mist rushed out from him then veered left toward the exit like they'd been caught in a sharp breeze.

Obito held a hand out in front of him, but he couldn't feel a draft. The air was completely still. Yet when he breathed out again, it happened again.

Obito looked at the exit door, then looked right to the other end of the row. There was a giant grate that curved at the top. Could there be a tunnel there? A vent? Some way out of the prison they didn't know about?

He walked toward it, all senses alert for traps. As he got closer, his Sharingan registered the soft glow of paper seals pasted all over the grate. No—bars. It was another, larger set of bars.

He froze in his tracks when he saw wisps of color leaking around the edges of the bars and in the places where the seals were beginning to weaken.

Obito's skin prickled, and the cold tips of his fingers started to shake. The energy leaking from the cell was so powerful, so malevolent, it made the air almost painful to breathe.

It wasn't the first time he'd felt something like this.

He forced himself to take another step forward and rest his hands on the bars. The paper seals did not stop him, but he could feel their faint hum through the metal.

"Yagura-chan?" A voice croaked from within. Obito saw a figure move. He heard shuffling steps and the clink of chains.

The old man almost didn't look human. His roughspun shirt was stained, and it hung off his frame in tatters. A thin ring of long hair swayed well beyond his hunched shoulders.

"You're not…" He finally got close enough to see Obito with his weak eyes, and stepped backward with a hiss at the sight of his Sharingan. "An _Uchiha_. Here to kill me, are you?"

"No, I…" Obito swallowed. "You're… you are…"

But he didn't have to ask in order to know. That terrifying energy was radiating from the old man in waves. But even though he was looking at Obito with fear and suspicion, he didn't seem to be releasing the Sanbi's energy on purpose.

The jinchuuriki had less than a year to live. And now Obito understood why.

"No? Am I supposed to believe you got lost? Took a wrong turn at the examination ring?" The jinchuuriki said acidly. "Get it over with, boy, and save me the trouble."

"No." Obito reached through the bars, holding out his hand. "I'm here to get you out. Somewhere safe, and far, far away from here."

The jinchuuriki stared at him for a moment, then broke into hacking laughter.

" _Please,_ " Obito whispered. His other hand gripped the chilly metal so hard his knuckles grew sore.

He was trying not to give in to the heavy feeling pressing on his heart. One that said the old man was far too weak to survive a dimensional jump. That the seal would unravel and kill him if Obito tried. That he had to try to save him somehow, anyway.

The laughter stopped abruptly. "If I'm to be used as a weapon against my own village, I'd rather do it myself. That's part of the reason I'm down here, you see. They know I hate them just enough to do it. I'd rather break the seal and choose my own death."

"I'm not here to take you to some other kind of prison. I want to help you."

"Why would you want to help me?" The man's jowls shook with fear, or rage, Obito couldn't tell.

"Because." Obito rested his head against the metal. "My… my best friend is… someone like you. And it's sort of because of me. And he could have hated me and every other person in the world for it. But he hasn't. So I can't even hide inside my guilt. I have to act. I have to do _something_."

"A friend to someone like me," the old man rumbled. "But how can you expect to get a sack of bones like me out of here?"

"Just take my hand and I'll pull you through." Obito hoped that by keeping it simple, the strain on the seal wouldn't be too great.

"What are you talking about, boy?" But the jinchuuriki put his gnarled hand on top of Obito's. The chains on his wrist made it feel heavy.

In one motion, Obito stepped backward and pulled the old man out of his bonds and through the bars. The paper seals on the bars crackled with energy, giving off popping sounds like a shorted fuse.

Then they exploded.

Obito swore and shielded the old man with his body, letting the flying chunks of stone and metal pass through them both. A rumbling sound started somewhere above, and Obito swore even louder.

The jinchuuriki agreed. "Damn! They'll be down here any second. Run, boy! There's no way I can keep up with you dragging me five floors to the surface. I appreciate the effort, but you need to save yourself."

Very faintly, they could hear more explosions going off in the distance. The walls of the prison shook.

Obito could hear voices shouting in the above hall above, and feet running.

"Seal off the exits!"

"Move the prisoners deeper underground!"

"We're under attack!"

Obito walked to stand in front of the old man, facing the door. "That's not just because of us."

"What's going on? What are you doing? We'll be trapped in here."

Obito tried to think as quickly and calmly as he could. Minato must have heard the initial explosion, and used that as a cue to begin his attack. He'd be down here soon if Obito didn't get out. But he still hadn't saved anyone else. Without wanting to bring the old man into kamui—it wasn't even certain Obito could save _him_.

"Gramps, have you ever heard of the Yellow Flash of Konoha?"

"I've heard some things," he replied warily.

"I'm going to let him take you out of here, if you think you can handle jumping to the next island with his Hiraishin no Jutsu. He can probably do something to patch that leaky seal of yours."

As for what they'd do afterward… figuring that out would have to come later.

"Far be it for me to ask, but—"

The lights on their floor suddenly flickered on. Obito hunched within his hood and held his arm out in front of the old jinchuuriki. His heart pounded. He heard voices outside, and the great metal door swung open.

There were gasps and shouts as the guards saw him, the destruction of the cell, and the jinchuuriki behind him.

"You! Step away from the prisoner! _Now!_ "

Five of them were on the stairs. There were more behind. Obito could hear them calling for backup. A siren had started. No choice but to fight, to protect them both until Minato realized he was stuck.

Obito reached under his heavy cloak.

"Don't move!" A guard shouted, and half a dozen shuriken flew at them. Obito grabbed the old man's bony wrist and the knives passed through them. He withdrew fists full of Hiraishin daggers and threw them—not at the guards, but at the floor, ceiling, and walls of the row.

The guards started rushing down the stairs. Obito inhaled sharply and let loose a ball of fire that filled the hall from floor to ceiling, flames licking the moldy stone. At first they had no choice but to back up, but then they stood together to meet his fire with a stream of water. Foul-smelling steam hissed and billowed, clouding the air between them. Obito tensed. He knew they'd take the opportunity to rush in. They would have realized by now he wasn't moving from this spot.

A sword slashed through the steam at him. Luckily, the jinchuuriki had already caught on and held on to the hem of Obito's cloak. The sword went through them.

"What in the—" the guard with the sword was slow to regain his footing. He was practically in Obito's face. Obito elbowed the man hard in the temple.

The steam was starting to clear. Another guard appeared on his other side. This one made to seize the old man, but her arms wrapped around nothing.

"Uchiha genjutsu," the one Obito had hit grunted, holding the side of his head. They'd gotten close enough to notice his eyes.

"It's Konoha!" a guard at the door called out to the hall. "Konoha is attacking! Leave the prisoners! We need to fall back to the village!"

"We aren't leaving without the Sanbi," the sword-wielding guard growled. Judging by the armband he wore, he had to be some kind of leader. "Even if we all have to die, we will _not_ let Konoha have it."

"Your theory's about to be tested," Obito said.

Sparks jumped off the stone. Metal crashed against metal. Obito saw guards near the door fall. Then ones closer to him. Then the two beside him were thrown backward. And then Minato was standing in front of him.

"Sen—taichou!" Obito said.

Minato swept his gaze quickly around the room. "It's time to leave. What's wrong?"

"This gramps is the Sanbi jinchuuriki," Obito said as fast as he could. "But the seal keeping it in is barely holding. I thought he might get hurt if I… tried to…" He trailed off. The guards who weren't too badly injured were already starting to pick themselves up.

"Listen, take him out and go," Obito started again, making Minato take his eyes off the guards for a second. "If I don't have to worry about him, I can hurry and get as many of the others as I can. I'll be alright."

Minato glanced beside Obito. Obito looked too, his next words already coming out.

"So if we just—"

But the guard Obito had hit got behind the old man and pulled the sharp edge of a knife across his throat.

Obito stopped talking abruptly, as if his own throat had been cut.

Minato sent one, two, three kunai into the guards head, heart, and stomach.

Obito stood very still, mouth open slightly in surprise. He blinked as blood sprayed onto his cloak, his arms, his cheek. He reached out and the old man fell against him.

"No… what…"

Obito's knees gave way and they fell to the floor. The jinchuuriki's eyes were still open, and locked onto Obito's face. His chest heaved. His body was still fighting to breathe—quickly becoming a losing battle. Obito's hands went to the man's throat and pressed like he could put it back together.

"No." Obito's voice shook.

The old jinchuuriki didn't attempt to respond, but he tilted his head back and stared upward with fierce, burning hatred. He wasn't looking at Obito now. He was staring up toward the floors above, to the fortress full of people he loathed with every fiber of his being.

Somehow, Obito understood exactly what was about to happen.

But it was already too late to stop it.

The blood. And the Sanbi.

* * *

 **Chapter 36, The Three-Tails, will post sometime before the end of February. Until then!**


	36. The Three-Tails

**(posted 2/8/19)**

 **CHAPTER 36 | The Three-Tails**

 **Zetsu** leaned out of the tree on the third island they'd searched. This was starting to feel like a waste of time, but they would see it through to the end nevertheless. Orochimaru had already made a fool of Akatsuki enough. Each island surrounding Kirigakure would be thoroughly searched for any signs of the treacherous snake.

"Why did we end up with the boring job this time?" White Zetsu complained. "Let's go back and torture the Kyuubi, ne? It would be just as helpful as what we're doing now. And a lot more fun."

"Shut up," Black Zetsu growled. "It's better if we stay close. Impatience is making him too reckless. We should let _them_ seal the Sanbi for us, _then_ take it. Attacking here is a pointless risk."

"Which means more cleanup work for us to do." White Zetsu gave a long-suffering sigh. "It's too soon for him to be fighting so many Kage-level shinobi at once."

They jumped at the sound of a soft hiss above their head. Zetsu tried to quickly jump out of the tree trunk, but the giant python dropped down and wrapped around their neck. Soon it was curled all around their body, and slid down the tree to the ground.

" _Eww!_ Get it off!" White Zetsu cried, struggling unsuccessfully. "Why's it always some gross snake thing—"

"Shut up," Black Zetsu snapped again. "Show yourself, Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru stepped out of the same tree. He walked unhurriedly over to where they lay. "Is that all you've got? You aren't going to use those latent powers of yours to fight back?"

"What are you here for?" Black Zetsu demanded. "You're too late. We will have the Sanbi back—"

Orochimaru laughed with genuine amusement. "What do I care about that? I'll be gone from this world soon enough. _You're_ the one I needed to come out of hiding. What's within you is worth far more to me." Orochimaru pointed one long fingernail down at them. A dangerous grin slashed across his face. "Besides… petty as it sounds, I still haven't forgiven what you did to my assistant."

"What is he talking about? Finally lost it," White Zetsu muttered. "But who knows if he ever had it in the first— _ahh!"_ The python sunk its fangs into Zetsu's neck. "AH! I… I can't…"

"What is this?" Black Zetsu ground out slowly.

Orochimaru crouched beside them and stroked the snake's scales. "It's disappointing that you just wasted your only chance to fight back. This species isn't venomous, usually. But with my modifications, it's perfect for making sure you can't move." He reached for Zetsu's face, but then paused.

Both Zetsu fought to say something during the intervening silence. But their body fell completely slack within the snake's coils. All they could do was watch silently.

Orochimaru lowered his hand. "It isn't your fight this time, Sasuke-kun. I know you must be disappointed, too. But your moment will come someday if you are patient."

The forest around them remained silent. Orochimaru listened for a moment, then looked up.

"Oh? That's unexpected. I never imagined a path would open on its own. I need to hurry." Orochimaru stood.

Then he ran away, and the snake followed, dragging Zetsu. They were heading west, away from Kiri and the Sanbi.

Sasuke watched them from a thick patch of brush. He straightened to full height and narrowed his eyes.

He heard a quiet croak and looked down.

"Follow if you want to," Sasuke told the toad. "But I'm not going to the island."

Sasuke pushed through the brush and set off after Orochimaru.

* * *

Kakashi had felt pressure building in the air for a while, like an oncoming storm. The smell of atmosphere and sea rolled over them. The temperature dropped, and the waves surrounding the island grew more and more agitated.

"This isn't an ordinary storm," Mei said finally.

The Kiri-nin shifted uneasily on their feet. Kakashi figured some of them would remember the Sanbi from before Yagura. When Rin died, did it piece itself back together here, just like this?

Kakashi heard Jiraiya give a soft curse behind him. "If we have to deal with both Madara and the Sanbi at the same time, this just got a lot tougher."

"We were tricked," one of the kiri-nin murmured. "Someone knew it was coming back now."

Mei surveyed her nervous troops and nodded. "That's why we've prepared. Give your all to protecting and sealing the Sanbi. Jiraiya-sama, Kakashi-san, and I will keep Madara on the run in order to buy us enough time. If things get too bad, abandon the thought of catching him." She turned to Kakashi and Jiraiya. "Now that we know Naruto-kun is safe, our main priority here is to regain the Sanbi and prevent any casualties. Don't try to be heroes. If it appears, our original plan won't be enough."

The words were barely out of her mouth with the sea suddenly threw itself into the air.

Massive walls of water rose into the sky. The shinobi holding up the barrier shouted at each other to hold steady.

The pressure dropped. The energy hovering in the air rushed in on itself like an imploding star.

"Stay with the medical team. Listen to Tsunade-sama," Kakashi told Sakura.

There was a bright flash of light, and an unearthly roar shook the sky.

The Sanbi crashed into existence all at once. It towered over them, so close that breathing stung their lungs. Its cry drowned out the shouts of the people below. Its tails thrashed and sent up more waves.

Thunder rumbled. And the downpour began.

* * *

A shockwave ripped through the row, a massive gush of wind that blew the guards off their feet with its force. Obito put his hands up against it, but ended up tumbling backward and slamming into metal bars.

He sank to the floor and rolled onto all fours. He looked up, squinting through his tears to the epicenter of energy. The old man was covered in angry red-and-black chakra, back arched and screaming. That sound wasn't human.

Obito was too numb to think clearly. He felt incredibly off-kilter, like he'd woken up in the middle of falling down a bottomless well.

At first, he wasn't even thinking about getting the Sanbi away from Kiri. The only thing occupying his mind was that very soon, more people were going to die.

There was a massive plume of vapor, and the Sanbi appeared in a space much too confined for it. Floor after floor after floor, the stone cracked and the tower fell apart.

Obito stared up at the Sanbi's underbelly. One of its barnacle-encrusted legs was right beside him. In the blink of an eye, he'd come inches from being crushed.

There was too much dust and noise for Obito to know where anyone else was. But he knew something that could save them. So he reached out to touch the Sanbi and closed his eyes. The sheer volume of energy numbed his hand after a few seconds.

 _Focus_. Obito didn't know what he'd do once he and the Sanbi made it into kamui.

 _Focus._ He'd have to drop it into the future, but in some place where there wouldn't be a lot of people. He'd have to apologize to the Sixth Hokage later.

 _Focus._ The beast stopped moving.

It was finally caught in his grasp. Obito pushed.

It was too powerful. He didn't have the energy under control. Obito poured everything he had into it, every scrap of will and power and hope.

The world around him melted away. They were suspended in between here and nothing. Obito felt like gravity was pulling him in two different directions, ripping him in half. He could faintly see his kamui dimension forming; he had one hand attached to the Sanbi's leg and the other stretched toward it wide, like he was reaching all the way across the world. He reached beyond what he thought was possible.

If he could just touch the other dimension—if he could just connect, they would break through.

Obito stretched.

He connected. The dimension grew bright and clear. And then—

And then some invisible line snapped. The Sanbi pulled him away, a free fall into the void.

They fell from the kamui dimension and from his world.

And down, down, into the abyss of nothing.

* * *

Kakashi put up his arms as a sudden wave of angry wind and rain lashed at them. He could hear Mei shouting to the Kiri-nin holding up the barrier.

He blinked through the haze as the rain subsided to a steady patter. The violent weather came in bursts and phases.

"How big is it going to _get?_ " Jiraiya said tensely.

He had a point. After that last flash and rush of energy, the Sanbi had grown to nearly twice its initial size. It was a behemoth. Its spiked shell scraped the roof of the barrier and it shrieked in rage in response.

"Is it usually like this?" Kakashi called as Mei joined them. It was hard to hear anything over the noise.

They heard a huge boom, and the tower crumbled. The Sanbi had knocked it over with one of its clawed feet.

"I'm not sure!" Mei yelled, bracing herself alongside them as a tail swung and created a gust that nearly knocked them off their feet. "Our security seals just detected Madara's presence! He could have done something to agitate it! We need to get over there right now!"

"That's not going to happen unless we figure out where he—" Jiriaya started. But the three ducked again as explosions went off in front of them. Chunks of dislodged earth flew everywhere like schrapnel.

"What _now?_ " Mei cried in exasperation.

Kakashi saw a Kiri-nin crouched on the ground in front of him. The shinobi looked up and snarled, but there was panic in his eyes. He gave a battle cry and jumped at Kakashi, the knife in his hand flinging rain drops.

"What—" Kakashi jumped back and parried the blow.

Then he saw more. Three Kiri-nin ran at him and Jiraiya. A fourth jumped at Mei.

"Are you out of your mind? _Stand down!"_ Mei called, dodging the continual attacks.

Kakashi covered a Kiri-nin's face with his hand. "Kai!"

All he got was a slash in the arm as the confused shinobi swung with the knife.

Mei spat out a stream of cooled volcanic mud. It glooped to the ground and spread around their feet. It hardened around the legs of their attackers, halting them without hurting them.

"It isn't genjutsu. Look at their eyes," Kakashi said, keeping in a guarded stance.

Mei looked over them, taking in their gray padded armor and Kiri bands. "I don't know these men."

"Terumi?" One of the captured shinobi said dazedly. "The Lava Release user?"

"Mei-sama!" Chojuro came running up out of breath, and his sword was drawn. "The barrier team is in trouble! The Sanbi is much stronger than we thought. They won't be able to hold it much longer! And—and there are unknown people here all of a sudden. The sealers can't make enough space to—"

"We've noticed. Has anyone seen Madara?"

"N-Not yet. But the detection seals say he's here. He could have brought more former exiles with him."

Kakashi and Jiraiya had come over to listen to Chojuro's report. Mei turned to them, looking pained. "The best thing we can do right now is protect the sealers so they can do their job. Even if Madara gets away, we have to seal the Sanbi first."

Mei turned, and a streak of yellow became Minato, coiled to strike with a deadly glint in his eyes.

 _"Minato-sensei?"_ Kakashi gasped without thinking.

Minato glanced at him and his fierce look changed to surprise. Mei sprayed lava at him, and he jumped back—but didn't try to counterattack. Instead, he straightened while staring at Kakashi. Then he took a quick look around at the barrier, the huge Sanbi raging close to them, and the four of them standing together.

"We've jumped," Minato said softly, voice tinged with horror and amazement. He paused, examining Kakashi and Jiraiya. "They're our allies here?"

"Yes," Kakashi said, understanding. "But—"

The Sanbi gave an earsplitting roar that drowned everything out. All of them snapped to attention immediately.

"Obito," Minato said, and Kakashi could hear his worry.

Mei was about to say something, but Minato disappeared.

"That was the Yellow Flash," Mei said flatly, pointing at where he'd been.

"Eh? What? The _Yellow Flash?_ You mean _that_ Yellow Flash?" Chojuro spluttered.

"This could be a little worse than we thought," Jiraiya said.

* * *

Tobi stood at the epicenter of the commotion, and what he saw defied all understanding.

It was himself.

Or, rather, who he had once been.

The boy lay unconscious among the broken stones of the old prison. He was wearing a heavy traveling cloak, and his face was streaked with rain and blood, but there was no mistaking.

Another boy was kneeling beside his double, hands glowing with healing chakra. When he looked up, Tobi thought he looked vaguely familiar, but he was too focused on the image of his younger self to give it much thought.

He had expected some level of interference from Orochimaru, but things had been unsettlingly _wrong_ since arriving here. Something had made the Sanbi not only more powerful, but too agitated for him to control.

It was too big and contained too much energy for him to take into kamui. The only way to take it now was to seal it first, or fight until it became weak enough to transport.

Neither of those options would be easy with all the chaos and enemies around. He needed backup. This was precisely why they had Akatsuki work in two-man groups.

But no matter how much he called for Zetsu to come help him, there was never any response.

Tobi's anger was boiling below the surface, ready to lash out at anything. What he saw in front of him was so obviously fabricated to taunt him, he almost didn't mind taking the bait to investigate it.

The only good thing about this situation was that maybe, just maybe, he was about to learn the truth behind all the bizarre things that had happened.

He took another step into the crater where the image of himself lay.

"Don't come any closer," the silver-haired child said. He had reached into his sleeves and pulled something out. A smoke bomb in one hand, a syringe in the other.

"Who are you?" Tobi said.

The boy leaned forward, posing like he intended to shield the thing that looked like him at all costs. "You should get out of here while you still can. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but if you don't lay low starting now, you're going to be caught in his trap. I don't want you to get hurt, Obito."

"Who are you?" Tobi demanded again more forcefully, not even trying to stop his composure from cracking. "What do you know? What is _that?_ " He pointed at the other version of himself. He took a few more steps.

The boy tensed, then threw down the smoke bomb. A plume of silver smoke billowed, hiding the two from view, but Tobi lunged forward. The syringe came flying out of the cloud and went flying past his face, not even scratching his mask.

"A good effort. But not good enough." Tobi caught the silver-haired boy under the chin and threw him backward. The boy hit a broken wall and slid down to the ground.

Tobi knelt beside his replica to examine it, head tilted.

Even he wasn't sure why he was bothering with this oddity when the roars and shrieks and crashes continued all around. Maybe it was frustration over being interfered with yet again. Maybe it was just the desire for answers, or the hope that something could be salvaged from his ruined plan.

All he knew for sure was that running away empty-handed would be intolerable.

Tobi grew still when the other him showed signs of life. His eyelids moved, and then his eyes opened. The familiar black looked dazed and empty.

Tobi went to touch the other's face, but the silver-haired boy got up and jumped at him. Tobi let him run through and stumble to the ground. Then when the boy pried himself up from the broken stones to attack yet again, he grabbed his arm, twisted it behind the boy's back, and pinned him to the ground on his stomach next to the other. He held a kunai against the boy's ribcage.

"Go on. That won't be enough to kill me." The child's voice was high-pitched from fright, but he didn't waver. "I'm not human anymore, thanks to Orochimaru-sama. But I'm still better off than you'll be if he catches up to you."

The boy's face, his glasses, the way he spoke…

"You are Kabuto," Tobi said. He had no idea how that could be right, but he knew it was.

"Release them right now," someone said—low, deadly. Tobi turned around.

If the other him defied understanding, _this_ defied reality.

"Second warning." Minato held up one of his daggers in a reverse grip. "There will not be a third."

They stared at each other. Tobi reached for the other version of himself.

The dagger flew through him.

"What?" Minato breathed.

The moment he became tangible again, Tobi took his other self's arm. The younger version of him was waking up. He instinctively tried to pull away, but Tobi was already dragging the three of them into his dimension.

* * *

"There!" Naruto shouted aloud. He sensed another glimpse of Tobi outside of kamui. He'd first seen him right outside of Kiri, but now—now it felt like he was running away.

Naruto's senses were amplified to a dizzying extent after being awash in the great tree's energy. He knew something had gone very wrong in Kiri. The barrier they'd set up did nothing to dim the bright beacon of the Sanbi. It was so strong that it became difficult to untangle it from the energies of all the people around it.

Naruto was worried about them. But when Tobi left, he stopped, torn.

"Why is he leaving? Why isn't anyone following him?" Naruto said, staring up into the sky. He hit his fist against a tree, and moss started to emerge around his hand.

 _There's something wrong with the Sanbi. He must have had no choice but to retreat_ , Kurama said.

"I've got a bad feeling about this. If he goes off alone, he could walk right into a trap." Naruto blinked. "Wait… he's back where I was."

 _No doubt to check up on what he already has_.

"Now he's gone again. I have to get over there! It's our only chance."

* * *

Obito was still woozy, but he was fully awake now, and could move again. As the numbness retreated, pain replaced it, but that was welcome.

They were in his other self's kamui dimension. The masked bastard had disappeared, but Obito knew it wouldn't be for long.

Kabuto had his hands over him, the greenish glow washing over his chest. Kabuto's jaw was firmly clenched, but it didn't stop his lower lip from trembling. Obito could tell he was trying very hard not to cry.

Something had happened when he tried moving the Sanbi across dimensions. Everything had come spilling out into Naruto's world.

"Ka…buto," Obito tried. His voice was returning, albeit rusty-sounding. "You need to go back."

Kabuto's shoulders hunched. "You're covered in blood."

"It's not mine."

"I know."

Obito ignored the question in Kabuto's statement. "You need to go back to my kamui. You're a great medic, but you're not a shinobi yet. I don't want you trying to pull something like that again."

"Then you need to come back too. But I don't think you can still use it after taking us all to Naruto's time."

"I still have some left." Obito held up one of his hands to look at and immediately regretted it. Drying blood had even gotten under his fingernails. "It wasn't me. All I was trying to do was take the Sanbi to my own kamui. But then, it… felt like it was pulling me in a different direction. It brought us here, not me. I don't know how many people got caught up in it, but… I can still use kamui."

"You want to find Naruto, don't you?" Kabuto said quietly. "I want that, too. But wherever we go, we should go together."

Obito lowered his hand. "It's the only way to be absolutely sure we don't get separated. Naruto has to be out there somewhere, and Minato-sensei is too. We're going to help them."

The glow of medical chakra stopped, and Kabuto sat back, fists in his lap. Obito rolled over and pushed himself up off the floor and onto his feet. He made to offer his hand, then stopped. He averted his eyes and used an unsoiled edge of his cloak to scrub at his hands.

Kabuto got to his feet. "We'll all go. Are you still going to bring the Sanbi back?"

"I don't think I can." Obito's voice cracked. He stopped to inhale deeply. Now was not the time to lose composure. "I'm pretty sure it combined with the Sanbi of this time. It's too big for me to transport unsealed. We've got other problems, anyway." Obito looked around at his other self's dimension. "I can sense the anchoring tag on Naruto again. Maybe Orochimaru was able to block it before, or… maybe he was somewhere I couldn't reach from home, like this place."

"So you think we can get out?"

Obito nodded. "I'm going to find Naruto. He should know something about what's going on in this world."

" _We're_ going," Kabuto corrected.

"Obito?"

Obito jumped and whirled around. But the man he saw standing there wasn't his older self.

"So it's really true. You have the same ability."

"Who are you?" Obito asked warily. Kabuto looked at the man curiously from behind Obito.

The man was tall and thin, and his long hair fell around a face that was strikingly familiar. His matte black eyes looked tired and shallow. That was a look Obito had seen before, but only among…

"You're an Uchiha. I thought they were all supposed to be dead in this time. Wait—" Obito took a few steps closer, gaping up at him in amazement. " _Itachi?_ "

"Yes. Naruto said you were from the past, but I don't remember you very well," Itachi said, looking almost interested. It seemed the older version of Itachi was even less emotive than the child.

"I've only started seeing you a lot recently. So I guess I never did in this timeline," Obito said. "But your dad decided I needed someone to teach me how to use the Sharingan, so he's had me training at your house every day! It's really been a pain. I can't imagine what your training was like."

Itachi looked off to the side, and Obito remembered with an acute sense of awkwardness that bringing up Fugaku might not be a good idea.

"How did you get here?" Kabuto asked cautiously.

Obito glanced at Kabuto, then back at Itachi. He observed Itachi's thinness, the exhaustion in his frame. "It's pretty obvious how he got here. But—why? Did the older me…"

"We had a disagreement," Itachi said. "But now's not the time to explain. You said you were able to get out of here? Can you take me with you?"

Obito wanted to ask Itachi more about what had happened here, what he'd missed when Naruto disappeared, but he was right. The most important thing was to get out.

"Come on." He held out his hand to Itachi, then the other to Kabuto. "Alright, you can come along too. But we're going back as soon as we can, alright?"

They held on without hesitation, and Obito jumped.

* * *

A dense growth of trees appeared in front of them.

It was not the most graceful landing Obito had ever done. He and Itachi and Kabuto stumbled directly into Naruto's path. The latter promptly collided with them.

"Watch out—!"

" _Ah!"_

 _"Ow!_ "

Naruto ran directly into Obito, and they both fell. Kabuto was still holding on to Obito and fell halfway down. Itachi had somehow managed not to get hit or fall at all.

"Get up!" Obito tried to pull Naruto off the ground even as he stumbled to his own feet. "It doesn't feel like we jumped that far. He has to be nearby—"

"Yeah, I _was_ following him before you went and—"

"What? _Why_ would you do that? You were missing for days! I bet you thought _that_ was a good idea too—"

"Guys—" Kabuto started.

"Whoa, wait! What happened to you?" Naruto stared in horror at the blood splattered on Obito's front.

"I went to my version of Kiri. There was a fight. I'm not hurt." Obito unsnapped the clasp on his cloak and pitched it into a nearby bush. He was tempted to burn it, but they couldn't afford to call attention to themselves like that.

"But…"

"I think the Sanbi here has absorbed the Sanbi from my time. I would say leave it alone, but Minato-sensei got caught up in it too. You can sense him, right?" Obito looked back at Naruto. His Sage Mode looked different than it did before. His eyes had turned golden, and there were thick orange lines tracing from his hairline down past his neck. Hopefully, this meant his sensing abilities were better than ever.

Naruto frowned. "I'll be able to if we get closer. I need to practice in this form more. It's hard to focus on one person when the Sanbi is there interfering." Naruto turned to Itachi, who was standing back away from their conversation, silently keeping watch on the surrounding area. "Itachi… Sasuke is coming this way, too. He's a little easier for me to sense than before. Do you think you can keep him out of danger?"

"I don't know," Itachi said. "I don't want anyone to use him by holding the truth over his head ever again. But learning it from me could have consequences."

"Learning it from anyone would!" Naruto countered. "It'll be better if it's from you. I think he deserves that much. And you can tell him what happened with the other you, how things went when you tried it the other way. That might help."

"Maybe."

"You better leave before Tobi finds us. He'll go after us before he worries about you. Now's your chance."

Obito was surprised when Itachi nodded. This version of him was much harder to read than the child he knew.

Itachi looked away, then back at them. "I don't know if saying this will convince you, but you should also take the chance to get away from here." Then Itachi used the Shunshin no Jutsu to leave them.

"I can't believe he listened," Obito said.

"In this time, he's less worried about Madara and more about Sasuke." Naruto scratched the back of his head.

"Sasuke again," Obito said. "What's that about? I guess he escaped the Massacre somehow, but…"

"Itachi let him live. They are brothers, after all."

" _What?_ "

Naruto stared at him. "You mean you didn't know?"

"You never really explained it!" Obito crossed his arms defensively. "It's not like their parents explained their family plans to me, either. No wonder Sasuke bothers me. His dad ticks me off, too."

"The important thing right now is keeping him and Itachi away from Tobi." Naruto put a hand on his chest and took a deep breath. "I'm the one he's really after now, and that means anyone I care about could get hurt."

"Then let's listen to Itachi and leave. We need to go back and find Minato-sensei."

Naruto's fists clenched. It looked like he was struggling with something.

"What?" Obito recognized that look. It usually led to them finding trouble.

"I know. I want… to help tou-chan. I want to help all of them. But we're the only ones who've made it to here. My dad, Ero-sennin, Kakashi-sensei, two Kages—if anyone can handle that Sanbi, it's them. But if I go back, Tobi will follow."

"So… what? You want to keep him distracted chasing us while everyone else is fighting?"

Naruto shook his head. "We still have to fight. I'm saying that, sometimes… we have to trust other people in order to focus on what no one else can do."

"Which is what?" Obito looked around. "We don't know where Orochimaru is. And if he wants to take down that piece of trash, who cares?"

"You're not listening!" Naruto took him by the arms. "Any minute now, Orochimaru is going to get a new body. For all we know, he's already learned how to use Kakathree's eye. If he gets Tobi's eye too—if all those things come together—he'll be able to go _anywhere_ , even if there's no path. Your world. Kabuto's world. Maybe a million others that we don't even know about."

Kabuto made a small sound of understanding. Everything in Obito wanted to reject the idea. He didn't want to face his older self. Or Orochimaru. He was tired of running and hurting.

He understood that leaving the Sanbi to others had to be hard for Naruto, too. Why did he always make it so difficult to take the easy way out?

"How're we supposed to beat him, though? Either one of them." Obito hated the weakness that crept into his voice. He'd been doing a good job holding it at bay until now.

"You're there to handle dimensional jumps. I have my Sage Mode. And Kabuto has smarts. But we have another secret weapon, too. Your older self."

"You have finally, officially lost it."

"He's not going to just roll over and let Orochimaru take his eye. Orochimaru knows that, too." Naruto stared at Obito intently, as if trying through sheer force of will to make him understand. "Maybe he knew when and where the Sanbi would show up, or maybe he brought it there somehow and made sure everyone knew it. Either way, he _wanted_ Tobi away from the others in Akatsuki. When I was captured, he made sure your last path to this world was gone, too."

"Tobi is strong enough to be a threat. No one else is supposed to be here to get in the way," Kabuto said, catching on.

"Just this once, we have to fight beside your older self, not against him. We have to convince him, and for that we need you. I know it won't be easy. But you gotta try to—"

"So, there are three of you."

They looked up and saw Tobi emerge from the trees, footfalls silent on the grass.

He'd already found them. The time left to decide had run out.

Obito tensed. Naruto took a step to the side and turned to stand in front of him.

"Do you have a replica as well?" Tobi asked Naruto, drawing out the words. "Or were you just a failure?"

* * *

 **I think I can fit one more chapter in this month, so- Chapter 37, A Disorderly Universe, will post before Feb 28.**

 **I usually wouldn't mention stuff from another fandom, but-since I haven't posted KH stuff in a long time, I wonder if my current readers would be at all interested if I re-wrote my ancient KH fic, Twilit Destiny (circa 2007). To update its canon, sure, but also to have it finished. It's the only fic I've ever posted that has been left unfinished. Will it haunt me in my grave?**

 **I would probably keep the old version intact and newly post the reboot. Partly because the story will change, and partly to preserve my fic-writing self from 10+ years ago. Confronting your younger self really is… something.**


	37. A Disorderly Universe

**(posted 2/23/19)**

 **CHAPTER 37 | A Disorderly Universe**

 **Tobi** kept walking closer. Naruto could feel the distortion of energy coming off him like radiating cold. He was prepared to grab the trio at any moment.

Naruto also felt Obito and Kabuto, still frozen behind him. Kabuto's plant-clone body was only distinguishable from everything else by the shape of its outline intersecting with other streams of energy. Naruto could sense everything from Tobi's footsteps to the way Obito's heart thumped wildly in his chest.

The complete Sage Mode he'd gotten from absorbing the great tree's energy had already lasted far beyond usual, much of that time wasted while chasing Tobi's shadow. He had to make the best possible use of the remaining time.

"Well?" Tobi said. "I suppose I can't trust anything Itachi told me, but you're clearly involved in this somehow. So did Orochimaru also make a copy of you?"

"I _am_ the copy. So's this entire world," Naruto said. "The Orochimaru who did this comes from somewhere else. He just recently came here and took his other self's place. You really don't understand what you're dealing with. It wasn't a coincidence he picked you as one of his test subjects."

"How did you escape? The Tsukuyomi usually leaves a person weak for days after awakening. Did Itachi go easy on you? Or did _that_ help you? _"_ Tobi inclined his head.

"I'm not a _that,_ " Obito spat.

"I get you're mad about losing the Sanbi right now," Naruto said. "But that's part of it. You think you're so great at twisting people to do what you want, but you're the one being used this time. Give this up now, before you lose everything."

The cold aura grew, fueled by Tobi's anger.

"I don't have anything left to lose."

"Get ready," Naruto murmured. "He can't take us back to this world if he's in yours."

Naruto didn't look to see if Obito approved his idea. Tobi's step quickened and he jumped at them.

Naruto didn't move. Tobi reached out. Naruto felt Obito's hand on his back.

Tobi grabbed the front of his jacket like he intended to throw him. Naruto saw the world before him freeze and twist and start to turn into something else.

The outside slipped away and the kamui dimension faded into view, but they still felt trapped in between.

The two versions of the dimension were warring with one another. Tobi and Obito were pulling them in different directions at the same time. They hadn't had time to consider if it was dangerous, if they might all get ripped apart.

Finally, they landed on the smooth, pale stone surface of the kamui dimension. Naruto steadied himself as quickly as he could.

Tobi was still stubbornly holding on to the collar of his jacket. Naruto elbowed him hard in the mask, then kicked him in the chest. The force sent Tobi half-sliding, half-stumbling back until a square column stopped him.

Tobi stayed on his feet, but didn't move to retaliate just yet. His mask was riddled with hairline cracks from the Mode's power. Pieces of it crumbled and fell. He stared at them.

Naruto made to walk toward him, but Obito stopped him by pulling on his arm.

"What?"

Obito gave him a serious look. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. We've made it this far. Let me try."

Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it. He was all too aware that the Mode wouldn't last much longer. But Obito was right. They had to try this without fighting first.

Obito stepped forward to speak to his older self. "If you're wondering why those attacks didn't go through you, it's because we're not in your kamui. We're in mine."

Tobi looked around. Kabuto's camp was nearby. It was obvious at a glance that Obito was right. He'd won their tug-of-war.

"Naruto, while Tobi's distracted, listen," Kabuto whispered from behind him, beckoning.

"Huh?" Naruto bent to Kabuto's height, frowning in puzzlement.

"I haven't told you yet, but when I came here from the future, I brought a sample of that poison with me. The one that suppresses Shodai-sama's cells, remember? After Orochimaru-sama went to your world, I tried to replicate it, so we might have a way to fight him."

"Why didn't you—"

"It's taken a long time. I haven't tested it yet, so I can't be completely sure it works."

 _Test._ Naruto remembered what Orochimaru had said when he attacked Root. _A successful test, ne?_ He was trying out his own version of the poison.

Naruto nodded. "Orochimaru has it, too. But if you had a sample of the original, yours must be…" he trailed off. It was difficult to concentrate on another conversation when Obito was walking toward his older self.

"You're in my territory now," Obito continued. "You probably don't get what that means, since you've never had to think about it before."

"Enlighten me, then," Tobi said. He spoke quietly, but Naruto could hear the underlying sarcasm.

"It means you're trapped, and I'm not. True, if you go into your own kamui, you can make it back to your world. You should still be anchored to that kamui strongly enough to use it. But you've never had to phase across multiple dimensions at once, have you? It takes some practice to get the hang of it."

Obito stopped walking a few feet away. Despite how close he was to his older self, he wasn't standing on guard. He just put his hands on his hips and tilted his head up at Tobi in mock puzzlement. "I don't know, though. With only one eye, are you even capable of it at all?"

Tobi's hand twitched like he wanted to reach for a weapon. Naruto took another step toward them, but this time Kabuto took hold of his sleeve to stop him.

"Wait," Kabuto said quietly. "He won't be able to hurt Obito here. We can use that poison on _him,_ too, if we have to. Half his body is made of plant cells. It should be a last resort, though, if we want him on our side."

"What are you?" Tobi asked coldly.

"Weren't you listening to what Naruto told you earlier?" Obito gestured back to them. "We're what happens when a snake tries to steal whatever he wants by making copies. But not just of individual people—of worlds. _You_ are what came along with Naruto's world, so you're no different from us. I'm a person just as much as you are. More, actually. You're only half of one."

Tobi pushed off the column and rushed at him, kunai in hand. Naruto gave a startled cry, but Obito didn't even blink. The long slash went through him.

Tobi's posture was more cautious than surprised. He straightened from his striking pose and paused. Obito turned around to face him again, this time with his Sharingan activated.

"Sure, you're stronger than me in almost every way." Obito narrowed his eyes. "But here, I'm stronger in the only way that matters."

"You're wrong," Tobi said.

"What?" Obito bristled immediately.

"I don't know how you came to be here. Or what you've been told about me." Tobi slowly raised one of his hands and pointed. "I don't know what kind of world you come from. But the location doesn't change anything. You are weak."

Obito's eyes burned like live coals. He was clearly struggling not to let anger overtake him. His hands shook, clenched down by his sides.

"I know, because it's written all over you. And all over them." Tobi opened his hand as he swept it over to indicate Naruto and Kabuto. "If you want to know the source of your weakness, look no further."

"That's enough," Naruto said. "Obito, don't listen to anything this guy says. He always tries to force people into his gloomy point of view. He did the same thing to me and aniki. He knows he can't beat your kamui, so he wants to take away your will to fight instead."

"I know," Obito said tightly. "But that won't work. I know for a fact I'm better off for meeting you guys. The proof is right in front of me."

"Does Naruto know you?" Tobi tilted his head to the side curiously and dropped his hand. "And I'm not sure what to make of the other one. That Orochimaru, always meddling… but it's clear he's the one who brought the three of you together. Why is that? If he made _you_ for the sake of power, why would he be after me, as you claim?"

"It's because you have the Mangekyou that matches the one he's already stolen," Naruto said. "Orochimaru brought us together, but we escaped from his world. He had to figure out something else."

"So it is the Mangekyou he wants," Tobi said. He no longer seemed surprised about how much Naruto knew. "That explains everything. When he brought your little group together, he must have wanted you to bond in captivity. Then, after he got everything else he wanted from the experiment…" Tobi drew a line across his throat with his thumb. "Have the others die in front of that version of me. I hate to admit, it's a good plan."

Obito looked like he was going to be sick. He crossed his hands under his arms and held them tightly against himself.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Naruto said loudly, trying to divert Tobi's attention away. "Orochimaru worked too hard to get us there. He let us go _because_ us dying would be a waste. It wasn't until after we were gone that he started getting interested in the Mangekyou."

"You might be right. I don't really care either way." Tobi observed his younger self. "You've seen a glimpse of it, haven't you? When I found you, I could see that in you right away. But your Sharingan hasn't changed yet, so—it must not have been someone you cared for."

"Oh, that—what happened?" Naruto blurted.

"You haven't told them yet. Of course."

Obito glowered. "I've got nothing to hide from them. We'll catch up when _you're_ not around."

Tobi chuckled. "That stubbornness of yours is almost nostalgic. My point is that you've already seen a sampling of what the world has to offer. Denial is not going to give the relief you want it to. You obviously know all about me, but I know you even better. You've probably vowed not to become someone like me. You're so contrary that you would convince yourself we're not the same."

"We're _not_ the same. What matters is the actions we choose to take."

"On a superficial level, maybe. For a time, you might get by with controlling your actions through sheer willpower. But you'll see how fragile that is when something truly terrible happens."

"By that logic, if I'm weak, so are you," Obito retorted. "At least I want to fight to live in reality, instead of trying to get rid of it just 'cause I don't like it."

"But you are already denying it."

Obito lost his temper. "I'm not! You're just being annoying! It's been half a year since I found out about you. Anything you think you know about me has changed."

"Really… so you're not at all afraid to face reality? Not even a little?" Tobi raised his hand slowly and splayed it out over his crumbling mask.

"Don't." Obito sounded winded.

Tobi pushed his mask up just far enough for them to see him smirk. Scarred skin tugged at the corner of his mouth. But more startling than that was Tobi's voice. The deep, sonorous tone was just another part of the disguise. When he lifted the mask, it changed.

"You've done a good job of separating me from yourself in your mind. Don't you think that's its own kind of delusion?"

He didn't sound like the ominous shadow leader of Akatsuki anymore. He still sounded older, but Obito's soft mischievousness was all there. Tobi lifted the mask the rest of the way up and off over his head.

He stared at Obito. The scarring covered the right side of his face, the one with the Sharingan. But the other side was a nearly perfect mirror. He even had a normal looking eye. One red, one black—like the older Kakashi, only reversed.

"This?" Tobi said, sensing their confusion. He touched below the ordinary eye. "This is just a placeholder. There is a particular Sharingan I wanted to have here, but Orochimaru killed the person who possessed it. He has managed to take and hide almost all of the spares stored beneath Konoha and elsewhere. After the Sanbi, my next course of action is to get them back."

He locked his gaze with Obito's again. He started to walk closer to him.

"Get the hell away from me." Obito stepped backward, hands up.

Tobi didn't attempt to strike out at him again. He just leaned in closer to Obito's height. "You are extremely naive. If you keep on living in this world—or wherever you came from—you will eventually come to realize that in the harshest way possible. You can save yourself the pain if you accept it now."

"No." Obito's voice trembled, but he held his ground, refusing to step back any further. "I've already managed to change things. I found the Sanbi in my time, and I brought it here. That's why it was too strong for you to control. No one in my time can use it anymore, and the world and Rin will be safe."

Tobi didn't flinch at the sound of Rin's name, but something dark flickered in his eyes. "That is where you're the most wrong. There is no such thing as safety, for anyone. Is that why you've become such good friends with them?" He gave a short nod to the other two. "That version of Kabuto, who doesn't have a human body, and Naruto, who at least acts like he's indestructible. Do you somehow believe they will never die on you?"

"I know they're not immortal. But I'd rather die alongside them if my only choice for friends are immortal creeps like Orochimaru."

Tobi smiled again, but it looked more cruel than amused. "Alongside them? Where do you think Naruto has been before today? For that matter, your version of Minato-sensei… where is he now?"

Obito glanced at Naruto, who was still itching to jump in. This wasn't going well. But Kabuto had already reminded him of the decision he'd made earlier. _Trust Obito. Let him try._

"Minato-sensei can take care of himself," Obito said strongly, looking at Tobi again. "He managed to take on the Kyuubi by himself, even with _you_ interfering. You have no right to talk about him." There was a sudden surge of anger in his voice. "I've heard there are plenty of people there helping. He'll be able to figure out that we jumped to another world."

"I've forgotten how much I used to worship him. That's right—back then, it seemed everyone did. But do you really know him?"

"Better than you do," Obito retorted. "I've already been around him longer than you were."

Tobi gestured at Naruto. "Then, can you tell me why he chose to seal the Kyuubi within his own son? The truth is, he is as ruthless and power-hungry as anyone else. Always seeking advantage, even in the midst of personal tragedy."

Obito's body was coiled with anger, ready to strike. But it was Naruto who threw the first punch this time.

Tobi deftly stepped and dodged out of the way, experienced enough with Naruto's Sage Mode to stay far back from the strike.

Obito grabbed Naruto's arm as he whirled around. "Hey! What happened to convincing him? If I'd known you were gonna start a fight anyway, I would have clocked the bastard myself."

Despite the circumstances, Tobi had a self-satisfied smile. "You really have learned everything, haven't you? Yet there is still something you want from me. This is more interesting than I expected. I can't decide if you're arrogant, or just stupid."

Naruto scowled.

"Sorry," he said to Obito. Then he addressed Tobi again. "If it was only for your sake, that would be one thing. But we don't want Orochimaru wreaking havoc on the universe. If he doesn't get your eye, he'll be stuck in my world and eventually, we can bring him down. That's why you need to fight. Even if other places don't matter to you, I doubt you want to lose your kamui. If you don't stop obsessively hunting the bijuu until then, it'll be that much easier for you to fall into a trap."

"No—wait a minute," Kabuto interjected.

Naruto glanced at him. "What?"

"It won't take that long. If Orochimaru-sama already has one, it's still enough to—"

Tobi interrupted. "If I am needed that much, there must be a way to use my power I didn't know about. I can admit that." Tobi swept his hand around at Obito's dimension. "There are aspects of dimensional travel I haven't discovered yet. I can't say I'm very interested in other worlds, but… if there is a way to make my own abilities stronger, that will make this worthwhile." His outstretched hand paused in front of Obito. "I've found an even better replacement."

Tobi fluidly lunged forward at Obito in a single motion. Obito started and tensed up, but Tobi went all the way through him again, no more effective than before.

"Stop!" Kabuto shouted.

Tobi kept moving. Naruto realized too late that Tobi was coming directly for him. He sensed the currents of energy and movement change, but he didn't have time to set up a counterattack.

He started to step away, to dodge just enough, but Tobi changed direction again with a suddenness that even Frog Kumite hadn't prepared him for. Naruto only had time to subconsciously grit his teeth as the glint of a tantō knife appeared in Tobi's hand.

The pain was hardly noticeable at first. Naruto would have cried out in sheer surprise if nothing else, but his throat tightened when his mind caught up to what happened, making him choke.

The knife was buried in his abdomen. Tobi had angled it upward to go under his ribs, but Naruto's thudding heart had not been pierced. Either Tobi had missed the fatal strike, or…

"Don't move, unless you'd rather make this quick by giving up now," Tobi said. He was holding on to the handle of the knife with an iron grip. "As inconvenient as it would be for you to die, the power is worth a minor setback. And it's _very_ worth it to return all the trouble you've caused me."

Blood trickled down the knife handle and plipped onto the floor. Naruto put his shaking hands over Tobi's. His fingernails dug into the leathery gloves. As long as Tobi had a grip on the knife, there was no way he could safely move.

Tobi looked grimly satisfied. "It's no use. I can't have you healing yourself again—"

" _Bastard!"_ Obito screamed. Tobi had to duck as Obito threw a flying kick at his head.

"Reckless," Tobi said. "If that had landed, your friend would be laying in a pool of his own blood right now."

That was enough to make Obito stop the second strike he'd already lined up.

"I'm going to kill you." Obito's voice trembled with suppressed rage and panic.

"Such a quick change of heart from the self-righteous attitude earlier."

"Damn it," Naruto wheezed. It was difficult to breathe. One of his lungs must have gotten hit. He could feel the combination of Sage and bijuu energy rushing to his aid, but every breath or movement undid it. The energy he'd absorbed from the great tree was extremely powerful, but it wasn't limitless. Eventually, it would exhaust itself on the sharp edge of the knife.

Naruto looked over Tobi's shoulder at Obito, who stared back in wide-eyed desperation.

"I'm not going to die," Naruto said as steadily as he could. "Not until I've reached the title of Hokage."

"What an irresponsible claim. Do you want to make it worse?" Tobi sounded unexpectedly angry.

There was more Naruto wanted to say, but it was more important to focus on healing, so he returned his attention to his hands on the the knife. Naruto closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, then pushed Tobi's hands away with all his strength, taking shaky steps backward at the same time.

A sharp, sick feeling shuddered over him. The knife was out. Naruto saw Obito run forward and wrench it from Tobi's hands. Obito cried out in pure rage and took a swing at Tobi, but that was all Naruto saw. He stumbled backward and nearly landed on Kabuto, unexpectedly close, who wasted no time in pushing him on his side and getting to work.

"Sorry… didn't see you there," Naruto slurred. He tried to lift his head to watch the others fighting, but it hurt too much.

"That was a very bad idea!" Kabuto said, even as he took a folded cloth and pressed it into him. "Hold that if you can. Try to stay awake. I was going to help you! I could have made him let go without hurting you. Were you paying attention to what I just said a minute ago? Don't close your eyes."

Naruto forced his eyes open and smiled a little. Maybe this scolding was Kabuto's way of showing concern. "Sorry. I forgot."

"Stay focused," Kabuto commanded. "The energy you absorbed is already trying to heal you, which is good, because otherwise this would be beyond me. It's better if I just guide it."

"Obito—"

"I'm worried about him too, but you can't help him if you're bleeding to death. Focus."

"Oh… ha ha. It is a lot, huh?" Naruto felt the warmth seep through the cloth and dazedly let go of it to look at the shiny redness on his hands.

Kabuto muttered a curse and pulled Naruto's jacket off. He placed Naruto's hands firmly back over the wound. " _Focus!"_

Naruto focused. He let go of his grip on the energy, let Kabuto guide it to be as effective as possible. As the pain started to fade a little, and breathing became easier, he felt a strange sense of loss and disappointment at returning to a normal state. It felt almost like a great, warming presence that had been there was suddenly gone.

No wonder the real Madara had subsisted on the tree for so long. Its life was stronger than death.

Once he started feeling better, Naruto sat up.

"What are you doing?" Kabuto didn't try to stop him, but he kept his glowing palms pressed into his chest.

"As soon as I can move, I'm gonna—"

"This is going to take longer. Even if you _feel_ better, it doesn't mean you're healed."

Naruto didn't argue just yet. He wanted to be as close to full strength as possible. But he could at least watch now.

Obito was fighting all out to make sure that Tobi couldn't come anywhere near them. But even without the use of his own kamui, Tobi was able to avoid almost all of Obito's wild movements. Fueled by anger and fear, Obito was going to wear himself out very soon.

Naruto worried what Tobi would do when that happened. He wasn't bothering to fight back—he just circled, like a vulture waiting for its prey to tire out.

"They're getting too far away." Kabuto bit his lip, but kept his eyes on the healing. "This is bad. We need to have Obito take us out of here as soon as possible. If Tobi won't cooperate, the best thing we can do is take him away from here and into the future or Obito's timeline, where Orochimaru can't reach."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. He still felt lightheaded. The Sage energy had taken care of the major part of his healing, but now it was finally used up.

"Kakathree's eye is linked to _this_ kamui." Kabuto looked up at him seriously. "Learning to use it would take time for anyone who isn't Obito, but—it's not out of the question that Orochimaru-sama could follow us here."

Naruto's attention turned back sharply when he heard Obito cry out. He was crouched, bracing himself on one knee and breathing heavily.

But Obito got back up the moment a slithering wave came spilling out from under the flap of the canvas tent.

Hundreds, thousands of snakes burst out of it, slithering from every fold and crease.

"No." Naruto leaned forward and heavily stood.

"What—" Tobi, who was about to close in on Obito again, was suddenly forced to step back as the mass of writhing bodies streamed in between them.

It went past them and pooled into a mass that built itself up until it became Orochimaru.

"I've been found out," he said, grinning that perpetual grin. He looked the same as the last time they'd met. Naruto couldn't see the Sharingan. But then, there was no trace of the Zetsu, either. It meant nothing.

"Obito!" Naruto shouted. "Take Tobi and leave! Just get out of here now!"

Obito looked at him, wide-eyed to see Naruto back on his feet again. He didn't notice the snake-bunshin that materialized behind him.

"Look—"

Bunshin-Orochimaru kicked Obito to the side with enough force to send him flying. Obito hurtled toward a stone column, but managed to phase through it, get his feet underneath him, and skid to stop against the next one.

Meanwhile, Tobi turned to Orochimaru as the bunshin disintegrated into snakes. Despite all their warnings and the inaccessibility of his power, he had a menacing grin of his own.

Tobi moved like he was about to strike. But the snakes that had made up the bunshin, instead of returning to Orochimaru, darted for Tobi and slithered up his legs before anyone could blink. Tobi made a disgusted face, then bared his teeth when one of the snakes crawled up his back and sunk its fangs into his shoulder. Another one went around the other side and bit into his neck.

"Shit!" Naruto rushed forward and started pulling and batting away the creatures, as if Tobi was on fire. He managed to knock off or toss away most of them. But the two snakes that had latched on first would not let go.

Tobi reached up and ripped out the one on his neck, crushing the snake's head in his hand. He could only reach the other one by its tail, and pulling it out drew blood.

Orochimaru watched them struggle without concern, only a muted smile and a spark of amusement in his yellow eyes.

"Damn you," Tobi snarled. "Always meddling in things that don't—"

"Get back, you idiot!" Naruto got in front of Tobi and shoved him backward.

Tobi stumbled. He looked furious, but didn't leap forward again. He tried to regain his footing and had to take another step back.

He braced himself against a column and stared back warily. "What did you do?"

Orochimaru made to step toward Tobi, but Naruto stood in his way.

"It's remarkable you haven't changed your mind after all that, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Though, I wouldn't call it surprising. When we met again the first time, I recognized that you'd become a little more wise to the unseen. But other aspects have been a bit disappointing. Have you figured out what I meant?"

Naruto angled himself more fully in front of Tobi. "I didn't care then, and I don't care now. I never signed up for your stupid project. None of us did."

"You've gotten better at seeing, but you waste the knowledge and resources you possess. You are content to emulate what has come before, to struggle to contain what cannot be contained. You act instinctively out of fear of loss." Orochimaru's gaze flitted to Obito, who had come up beside Naruto, and Kabuto, who was further back. "All of you. You have misused the gift you've been given."

"We're leaving," Obito said.

"Wait. Take Tobi and leave first," Naruto countered.

"Yeah, right. Like I'm just going to leave you and Kabuto to—"

"Look behind you!" Kabuto cried.

The other two whirled around just as Tobi let loose a stream of fire that lit up the dimension's persistent gloom. But the fire wasn't aimed at them. Tobi's back was pressed to the column, and he was striking at another Orochimaru that had appeared between him and Naruto. A bunshin? Or the original?

They jumped out of the blasting range. Tobi's flame went from a bright inferno that licked the stone, to a sputtering thin line, to nothing but wispy smoke that quickly dispersed. Tobi clumsily wiped soot from his mouth on his forearm and glared. His face had become very pale.

"What did you do to me?" he repeated, breathing ragged.

"I'm not prepared to say my previous project was a failure, but I would like to find out what I could do with the same gifts." The second Orochimaru had easily dodged the fire. Naruto quickly looked back and saw that the first one was gone. "To that end, there is no benefit to a massive struggle here. I'd rather make this quick."

Naruto ran across and put himself between Orochimaru and Tobi again. "That's too bad. You'll have to go through us first."

Orochimaru gave a full-throated laugh. "That's just like you, Naruto-kun. What 'us' are you talking about? You're the only one who wants this sad, confused puppet to live. Is it because you can relate?"

"Shut your mouth," Naruto growled. "I know you think we can't possibly stand up to you, but you shouldn't underestimate us."

"None of you are in any condition to fight. Tobi may be a fool," here Orochimaru gestured one long-fingered hand at him, "but he was right about your biggest misconception—the one you've managed to infect the others with. The lesson you need to learn: you can't save everyone."

* * *

Minato knelt down next to the body of the Sanbi jinchuuriki. Every inch of the old man's skin was burned by demonic energy.

He'd found the corpse close to where Obito, Kabuto, and the man who'd taken them had all disappeared.

Minato had felt more than one of his Hiraishin marks on that masked man, but now he couldn't sense any of them. Only the daggers he'd scattered around the island registered now—and a few more beyond, not attached to anything moving.

The boys were in trouble, and he had no idea where Naruto was, either. Because this had to be Naruto's world, didn't it? He needed someone who could tell him more.

As if on cue, Minato heard someone land behind him. He stood and turned to face Kakashi.

"Minato-sensei," Kakashi said, his one visible eye wide. "How…"

Minato glanced away from him as Jiraiya appeared.

"Hey," Jiraiya said with an irreverent wave. "We've met before, on that last mission. I was impersonating myself to make sure those brats didn't get themselves killed."

What in the world had Obito been doing? Minato mentally filed that information away for later. "Then I hope you understand what's happened. We've crossed over, and I believe the Sanbi has combined with itself in this world."

"By we you mean…"

Minato hesitated only a second before responding. "Potentially everyone who was in the area when this jinchuuriki released it. Obito was with me, and I saw Kabuto appear here as well for some reason."

Kakashi shook his head as if trying to shake some sense into what he was seeing and hearing.

Minato looked down at the dead jinchuuriki. "But a masked man took the two of them."

" _What?_ " Jiraiya said sharply. "You saw the masked man?"

At his teacher's alarmed tone, fear threatened to close around Minato's heart. He kept it at bay the way he always did: by taking a breath and refocusing solely on the situation in front of him.

"They disappeared. I don't know where. Is he the cause of all this?"

"He's…" Kakashi visibly struggled. He closed his eyes, shoulders tense, hands clenched down by his sides. Then he looked at Minato again. "He's part of a group trying to steal all the bijuu to combine them into some sort of super-beast. Kiri tried to draw him out using the unsealed Sanbi as bait. I don't think he expected this, either."

They were interrupted by a piercing shriek from above. The Sanbi wasn't stomping as wildly as it was a moment ago, but it now seemed determined to break through the barrier. It bashed its head against it and shrieked in pain or frustration when it cracked, but held.

"At any rate, they won't be able to keep this barrier up much longer," Jiraiya said, looking up. He put his hands up in a seal when the Sanbi started turning around.

It walked over them, and they had to jump out of the way to avoid being crushed. The Sanbi's tails swung, glowing with angry red energy. Its tails hit the ground and mud and rocks flew into the hair.

Minato felt the energy sting his skin. The red aura was starting to surround the Sanbi, as if it was growing angrier, or maybe gathering its power.

"I think a lot of Kiri-nin from my world came here, along with however many are here for the plan on this side," Minato said to Kakashi, who had landed directly beside him. "Taking care of this should be first. Do you all have a plan?"

"No. No one knew this was going to happen. They put up the barrier just in case, but…"

"Containing it like this isn't going to be enough. It's going to break through. Even if it doesn't, everyone here will be killed."

"Kiri planned to seal it within the Mizukage's aide," Kakashi started, but then they heard a battle cry.

Kakashi moved quickly to disarm and tackle the Kiri-nin who had tried to charge at Minato from behind. He twisted the shinobi's arms behind his back.

"Konoha scum!" The man snarled, cheek pressed into the ground. Minato recognized the uniform the prison guards had been wearing.

"You may be really confused, but that's no reason to be rude," Kakashi said. "Can't you see we have bigger problems right now?"

Minato smiled a little despite himself. This version of Kakashi was not as different as Naruto led him to believe. He turned and prepared to jump away.

"Wait!" Kakashi said. "Where are you going?"

"Before anything, we have to stop the Sanbi. My markers are everywhere, so I can help wear it down. As for the rest—truthfully, I…" Minato looked back at Kakashi, but he paused at the guard's glare.

In this situation, ceasing hostilities was the only choice. But if there was something beyond this, if they could find their way home, the war would still be there.

"Nevermind," Minato said, turning back. "Maybe we'll have the chance to talk another time."

"Wait, don't—" Minato heard Kakashi say, but he jumped away to the other side of the island, where the Sanbi's head kept bumping into the barrier.

Minato looked up and dodged nimbly as the Sanbi's front claws raked at him.

 _I'm not sending you to find it,_ Hiruzen had told him. _It's too risky yet. Right now, the most important thing is finding a way in. But along the way, should you happen to discover where it's being kept…_

The Sandaime told him an Uchiha would be sent to help scout once he made it back to Water. He also told him about Fugaku's suggestion: the possibility of claiming the Sanbi for Konoha.

Minato had assumed Fugaku's hand-picked Uchiha would be aware of the idea, but when Obito showed up, he no longer thought so. Rather, it was clear the Clan Head wanted to use the lower-risk mission to boost Obito's track record, leaving other possibilities for after they found a path.

But now, Minato felt sure that Obito had known something. And whatever he knew, it had something to do with the man who had kidnapped them.

Minato took out an ordinary kunai and made a long cut across the palm of his left hand. He stared warily up at the Sanbi as blood pooled in his hand.

He knew of only a few ways to make the creature in front of him disappear—quickly, and with the fewest number of casualties. It came down to a choice between those methods.

It all depended on what he was willing to spend—and what he was willing to gain.

* * *

 **Chapter 38, Team To-like this chapter, will probably be longer than usual, and may take as much time. (But hopefully not any longer!) As in, probably after March starts, but by or before the 15th. Until then!**


	38. Team To

**(posted 3/11/19)**

 **CHAPTER 38 | Team To**

 **Obito** did not want to fight anymore, especially against Orochimaru.

He watched the standoff between him and Naruto—staying close enough to interfere if the snake attacked, but not joining in to shield his older self. Instead, he was in front of Kabuto, angling himself at an equal distance from both his team members.

"Naruto, stop. This isn't worth it," Obito said quietly, making them all turn to look at him.

Naruto frowned. "Obito—"

"This is their fight. Why should we be the ones to jump in the middle of it and die? What happens out in other worlds doesn't matter to me."

"Obito!" Naruto sounded shocked, somehow. As if he hadn't nearly died for this already. As if he couldn't be snuffed out in the blink of an eye, the way the Sanbi jinchuuriki was.

Deep down in his heart, Obito knew Tobi guessed correctly. He _had_ seen. He had subconsciously believed this new team to be less mortal than the old one. That all this time spent crossing worlds made them above the rules, somehow.

Tobi had helped reverse that opinion in a very short amount of time.

"Interesting," Orochimaru mused. "You see, Naruto-kun? There is no need to waste your lives here. As you said, I worked too hard to bring you three to fruition. But Tobi was also right. I _did_ consider killing you when we arrived in your world, as it would have been more convenient to take the Mangekyou of this one." He gestured at Obito.

"And what? You want a thank you?" Naruto snorted. "Obito is only saying that because he hates Tobi. He understands better than anyone that kind of power needs to be kept away from you."

Orochimaru stared at Obito now, a knowing smirk emerging on his face. "Is that how it is? You know, I was truly impressed with you that time, Obito-kun. You made things more difficult for me by not allowing me into this dimension from the start. I believe I could have found my way back here faster if you had. I thought I'd seen a glimpse of the unexpected in you. A change."

"I have changed, not that it's any of your business." Obito clenched his fists and tamped down the urge to yell. He knew getting drawn in by Orochimaru's taunts would only end badly.

He knew just as well Naruto would stand his ground and continue doing just that.

Obito glanced back as movement caught his eye. Tobi, who had been leaning against a column, slid down the stone and sat. He was losing against whatever venom Orochimaru injected him with.

"You held out well. I don't think two was enough," Orochimaru mused, flexing one long hand. "This may hurt a little more than it was supposed to."

Tobi raised his left hand in a shaky half-ram seal. He grimaced, squeezed his eyes shut, and then glared up at Orochimaru again.

"It's too late. As you saw with that flame, the ability to mold chakra is the first thing to go. No chance to bring out your kinjutsu," Orochimaru said delightedly, as if Tobi had done exactly what he'd hoped. "I was curious to see what it would take to make you consider sacrificing your own eye. Did the desire to spite me make your decision quicker?"

"What exactly are _you?_ " Tobi asked. His voice was rough, uneven, as if he barely had control of it.

Orochimaru tsked disapprovingly. "There was so much you could have done to prevent this. You could have set the Izanagi to activate on its own if you become incapacitated. You could have prioritized finding a proper replacement, so you wouldn't have to hesitate so long. But you wanted the Sanbi too badly to think of anything else. And you sorely underestimated me."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm tired of your gloating," Naruto said loudly. " _Taijuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_ "

A vast multitude of Naruto's bunshin appeared, more than Obito had ever seen before. They made a densely packed moat of bodies around Obito, Tobi, and Kabuto.

"Hurry!" One of them tugged on Obito's arm. "You can work out your issues with Tobi later. Right now, we need to get him somewhere safe, or figure out a way to get Orochimaru to Kakathree. I don't care which, but I get the feeling moving Tobi will be easier. As far as we know, Orochimaru has no path to your world yet."

"But… I don't have anywhere to put him." The thought of letting Tobi into his world _anywhere_ made Obito's skin crawl.

"Just put him in your apartment somewhere! He's not moving anytime soon."

"Fine. But if he goes, we all go. Let Orochimaru be stuck with only one way out. Maybe he'll finally go home."

The Naruto clone hesitated. "Are you sure he can't get back to my world from here?"

"Not with only one eye," Obito said, putting more certainty in it than he actually felt. "If the older me couldn't do it, no one can."

"Alright." The bunshin glanced back and forth. Clones on the edge of the wall were already starting to pop. "Get Kabuto. I'll keep Orochimaru back long enough for you to meet the real me at Tobi."

With that, the bunshin dispersed itself into a wisp of vapor. Obito whirled around and spotted Kabuto standing among a gaggle of bunshin bodyguards. The crowd let him push through.

"Come on. We're getting out of here."

Kabuto nodded, but his face was twisted with anxiety. "The tent—my notes—everything we know about the dimensions is in my materials."

Obito looked over his shoulder at Kabuto's home. The field tent stolen from the Fourth War was leaning to one side, one of its front poles knocked askew.

"I'm really sorry." Obito turned back to him. "Our lives are more important. If I get stuck babysitting Orochimaru in here, we'll find you somewhere nicer to live."

"B-but—"

"Get going!" A cluster of Naruto's clones pushed them on their way.

Obito and Kabuto stumbled into the clearing created around Tobi by the mass of bunshin. Tobi was sitting against a square column, propped up with his head back.

Only his left side, the human side, still seemed capable of moving at all. As they approached, he raised the bloodied tantō knife and tilted his head down just enough to give them a defiant glare.

"I should've thrown that farther away." Obito wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You're not making it any easier to rescue you."

"Coming for me first was a mistake," Tobi said in his halting way. "The cost of living in reality is high. You can't hope to win unless you guard your heart. Someone will always be there to aim directly for it."

Obito looked at the knife and felt a sharp twist of apprehension in his gut.

"Naruto—"

But Tobi moved before he did. He threw the knife with surprising speed and accuracy. Obito thought it was aimed for him, but when he instinctively stepped aside, the knife was easily knocked out of the air by Orochimaru.

Obito nearly stumbled in his haste to back away, startled by how close the snake Sannin had been. When had—

"Not your usual amount of power, but it's impressive you can move at all," Orochimaru said.

Obito whirled around, wildly scanning the space around them. Naruto's clones were still there, but… for some reason, they weren't doing anything. They just stood with their backs turned toward them in a loose circle.

"Naruto!"

Something wasn't right. Obito grabbed one of the bunshin by the arm and pulled it around.

The bunshin stared at him blankly. Its expression was completely neutral, devoid of recognition.

Obito let go and backed away. He looked over his shoulder at Tobi and Orochimaru, and Kabuto standing too close to both of them. Despite being mere steps away from Tobi, his goal, Orochimaru was watching Obito.

Kabuto caught his eye and subtly motioned at his sleeve. Obito understood that Kabuto was referring to his own venom prototype. He was still thinking of ways to fight back.

Obito turned and ran at Kabuto. That was when the bunshin started to move.

Obito felt dozens of hands grab and pull him backward into the mass. He got dragged back a few feet before he phased through, then became solid again and elbowed the nearest bunshin as hard as he could. It poofed and disappeared.

Where was the original? It was impossible to tell them apart.

He broke free and swore when he saw Kabuto being dragged backward on the opposite side. Obito rushed toward him, phasing through bunshin as they placed themselves in his way.

"Don't worry about me!" Kabuto called out, but Obito pressed forward anyway.

He made to Kabuto easily. Obito reached out for him, but his hands went through.

Naruto's bunshin were packed around them so tightly that it was like wading in a sea of orange and yellow. It was impossible to get close to Kabuto without stepping through several of them.

"Damn it!" Obito growled in frustration as he swiped through Kabuto again. It wasn't a coincidence. He couldn't interact and phase at the same time, and Orochimaru knew it.

"Forget me! I'm just a distraction! He's going after the eye!" Kabuto shouted, kicking and struggling against the bunshin.

Obito glanced down at himself. He wasn't sure what would happen if he turned tangible while physically intersecting something else, but it was time to find out.

"Take my hand!" he said, stretching his hand out to Kabuto. He braced himself, then became tangible again.

The solid flesh and blood of his form won out against the ephemeral kage bunshin. The ones that had been intersecting him all dispersed into smoke, and Obito suddenly found himself with a gap of space. He grabbed Kabuto's outstretched hand and pulled him out.

"This could work," Obito said as they ran, phasing through the crowd. "As long as I'm here, they can't trap us—"

"No. Don't do that again."

"Why not?"

"Because that might kill the real Naruto, and I think Orochimaru-sama would be interested to see that happen."

Obito halted. His already frayed heart was racing. He hadn't realized how far he'd had to run to reach Kabuto. Tobi, sitting across from them, wore a grimace of pain. His left hand was raised to cover his right eye. Blood was streaming freely down his cheek.

"It's in his arm!" Kabuto cried out in shock.

Obito caught a glimpse of the many eyes embedded in Orochimaru's skin, before the Sannin pushed his sleeve back down and turned around.

"Earlier, you said you've changed," Orochimaru said, flexing his spindly hand. "But you're fighting both fate and your true nature. Your new life still relies on a guiding star, a moral compass. So how much have you really changed?"

"You've gotten what you wanted. Now leave us alone. Let go of Naruto."

"It's still a victory if everyone survives, is that it?" Orochimaru mused. He motioned to the sea of motionless bunshin around them. "Here's a quiz for you, Obito-kun. This kamui dimension of yours is permanently tied to our two worlds. Yours, because it's where you come from—and mine, because it's where this kamui comes from. Your link to Naruto-kun's time was always contingent on the pathways _I_ created. So, my question to you is: are you sure you want me to walk away right now?"

Obito stared. Everything fell away from him until he was left standing alone, cold and foolish. He felt Kabuto touch his arm. Obito slowly looked at Tobi, now squinting at them with his single powerless eye, breathing short, burdened gasps. Naruto's bunshin still stood around them, blank and unnervingly silent.

Both of his anchors to Naruto's time were here. Without the power of two Mangekyou, there was no way to return.

"I wonder how you'll explain to people in your time that the Yellow Flash has disappeared forever." Orochimaru smiled cruelly. "Tobi and Naruto will never be able to go home. Perhaps you can start a colony here for all the people you've failed. Or," Orochimaru flicked his hands, and wicked, sharp wooden spikes extended directly from his palms. "I can help you unlock that power for yourself."

"No." Obito responded without quite meaning to. "All this was your doing, not mine."

"We're not going to give up," Kabuto added. "Even if the paths are gone, we'll find a way. We'll never, _ever_ stop fighting."

Obito glanced down at Kabuto. The medic had let go of him, and was staring at Orochimaru with a fierce defiance. He was so different from the scared, wavering kid they'd first met.

"Yeah." Obito turned his attention back to Orochimaru. "You may have been the one to bring us together, but you aren't going to tear us apart. What you made for your own gain is ours now. If you keep pushing, sooner or later you'll make your own worst nightmare."

Orochimaru grinned. "Quite the contrary, Obito-kun. A game is only fun if there's someone to play against. It's true that all of you have extraordinary capacity for strength and change. But every great shift requires a catalyst. I know simply observing isn't enough to make it happen. Therefore, _I_ will become the wind that moves the world."

Naruto's bunshin shifted. But then they all collectively shuddered and clutched their heads. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.

"What's happening now?" Obito looked around himself warily, stepping back from the nearest bunshin.

One of the Narutos was moving differently from the rest. He took long, drudging steps through the crowd, using the others to help brace and pull himself forward, as if walking upstream. His body was surrounded with a red aura.

"Naruto!" Obito called out in surprise. The real one was resisting control!

"Oh?" Orochimaru said. He held up one of his hands in a half-ram seal.

Naruto jerked to a stop as if tugged with an invisible rope, holding onto the shoulders of two clones in front of him after nearly stumbling. He looked up. His eyes were red, pupils reduced to vertical slits.

Obito felt the now-familiar sting of bijuu energy crackling in the air. The red aura around Naruto was molding itself into sharp, flame-like angles, not like the unstable blob it had been the last time.

"Unleashing the Kyuubi in here would only hurt your friends. I can leave at any moment," Orochimaru said, watching cautiously as Naruto slowly continued to struggle forward.

"Can you? Why haven't you done it yet?" Obito challenged. "You said you could've come here quicker if I'd brought you in. So it takes a while to go somewhere you've never been, is that it?"

"Perhaps. But I _did_ manage to bring myself here. Using the power again will not be as difficult." Orochimaru gave a sharp nod at Naruto, a mental push. Naruto halted again so suddenly that he fell on his hands and knees. But the demonic aura continued to grow. Its color grew warmer, closer to orange, with little glimpses of yellow flickering occasionally on the ends.

Orochimaru seemed more concerned about the Kyuubi than any of them. Obito glanced around. The Naruto bunshin had all fallen to the ground along with their original, heads down as if bracing against some unseen storm.

"We need to help him break free. Let's get closer," Obito murmured to Kabuto.

"I can't." Kabuto's voice was arched with worry. "The corrosive bijuu cloak isn't that much of a danger to my current form, but this is something else. I can tell Orochimaru-sama thinks so, too. His new vessel may be stronger, but he still doesn't want to get too close."

"How can we free Naruto?"

"I… I can't think of any way to break the controlling tag, other than letting the Kyuubi out. Then, there's… Orochimaru-sama kept our contracts in the same book as the summoning formula, but at this point—"

"Oi, Orochimaru! Where is the book?" Obito called loudly.

"No—wait!" Kabuto whispered.

Orochimaru shifted his gaze from Naruto to them. "What book, Obito-kun?"

"Don't play dumb. You used a Summoning jutsu to bring us to your time. That book has our contracts in it."

A slow, supremely satisfied smirk grew across Orochimaru's face. He relaxed from his pose and reached into a pouch strapped to his robe belt.

He held up an old, worn journal by the spine. "You mean this book?"

Obito glanced at Kabuto again. The youngest member of their team had gone deathly pale. One hand was curled over his chest, features sketched with frozen terror.

"What's wrong? Can he do something with that?" Obito asked urgently. Kabuto didn't respond.

"Now I understand." Orochimaru laughed. "Kabuto. Had I known you had such a talent for subterfuge at an early age, I might have forgone your training as a medic. It seems you're a natural-born liar."

Kabuto pressed his hand to his chest harder, as if the heart that was no longer there pained him. To Obito's shock, tears welled up and spilled down his cheeks.

"No, I—" he croaked.

"What is it?" Obito risked turning his back on Orochimaru so he could put his hands on Kabuto's shoulders. "Look, whatever it is, I don't care. We've all messed up before. Now's not the time to get caught up in his gloating."

"It isn't complicated," Orochimaru said, puncturing Obito's attempts to ignore him. "Kabuto stole this book and other materials from me before you brought him here. Once he found out how you three came to be in my world, he must have wanted to bring you back. But, of course, performing the Time-Spanning Incarnation isn't that simple."

Kabuto squeezed his eyes shut, sending another wave of tears spilling down his face.

"It's okay," Obito said, making his tone as steady and calm as he could. "It's our fault for leaving you. Besides, we could have just escaped again."

"You're missing the point." The pages of the journal rustled as Orochimaru waved it. "He's had this the entire time. All you would have to do is destroy the contracts, and none of you would have to worry about being Summoned again. You'd be free. I assumed you didn't know what you had. Judging by your reaction, it seems I misjudged you."

"Is that true?" But Obito could tell from Kabuto's expression that it was. He slowly let go of his shoulders. "Why?"

"I-it's not like that!" Kabuto stammered. Despite not actually having blood, his nose and cheeks were turning pink. He looked down at the floor. "I mean… I did know. But… I didn't want the contracts to be destroyed. Because that's what keeps us tied together. I don't think you could have found Naruto again without it. And I… I was afraid that destroying it might force me out of this body."

"That fear… is correct," Orochimaru said. "Naruto-kun's path would have disappeared immediately, and you would die."

"See?" Kabuto gave a shaky laugh and opened his palm on his chest. "This body could go on forever, but my life is nothing but a piece of paper. I'm sorry for not helping Naruto sooner, though. When he said he had a way to break Orochimaru-sama's control without ending the contract, I just… thought… it was better than never seeing him again."

"I think I get the gist of it now." Obito straightened to his full height and turned around. He pointed at Orochimaru. "Basically, I'm sick of you jerking us around. How many times are you going to make me say it?"

"You're…" Naruto raised his head. His voice had a heavy, gravelly quality to it, but he was slowly climbing to his feet. "You're not going to tear us apart, so stop trying."

"Exactly," Obito said, closing his hand into a fist.

The field of bunshin all around them got up, too. They all had crossed arms and disapproving looks. One or two flipped Orochimaru off.

The aura around Naruto grew larger and more orange. His clothes and hair were tossed around within the current of energy.

"Ready?" Obito said.

"Yeah."

Obito, Naruto, and all the bunshin rushed at Orochimaru.

Even with a veritable army closing in, Orochimaru didn't seem concerned. He calmly opened the journal and ripped one of its pages out.

Everyone stumbled to a halt.

"I do want to take this recipe with me," Orochimaru said, holding the paper between two fingers and shaking it for emphasis. "I've found lately that recreating my favorite venoms is tedious. This will save me a lot of time."

Obito and Naruto exchanged a look and a subtle nod.

Naruto dived at Orochimaru. Obito went for the book.

Orochimaru fluidly stepped to the side, but neither of them relented. Obito's fingertips touched the leathery cover of the journal and he immediately made it phase through. He snatched the book as it fell and tucked it underneath his arm.

As Obito backed out of the way, Naruto swiped at Orochimaru with an open-handed strike, his sharpened nails extended. As soon as it looked like he might make contact, Orochimaru's form dissolved into a mass of snakes. They wriggled away and re-formed on the other side of Tobi.

Tobi now seemed completely unable to move. He was still awake, still watching them with his one borrowed eye, but his arms were resting limply by his sides, and his head leaned to one side. The trail of drying blood from his empty eye socket disappeared into his hairline.

"Orochimaru doesn't want Kurama's energy to touch him," Naruto said, walking up beside Obito. "That means he was telling the truth about that being his weakness. His plant body will transform, like mine did."

"Maybe. But you said he's moved to an even stronger one, right? He might still be trying to trick us."

"Yeah. We'll just have to… _ugh_." Naruto's arms and legs shuddered strangely. He held on to his head. "No… not again."

Obito faced him, just in case. He was itching to get the book out, find the page with Naruto's contract, and burn it to a crisp. But taking the time to flip through it risked letting it fall into Orochimaru's hands again. And if there was still even the slightest chance of finding a way back to Naruto's world—

Obito felt dozens of hands grab and pull him backward once again. A nearby cry told him Kabuto had been assaulted by the rogue bunshin again too.

"Enough already!" Obito leaned forward and slipped away from them. He whirled around, inhaled deeply, and let out the biggest fireball he could muster.

The bunshin weren't coordinated enough to scramble out of the way, but Kabuto was. Obito saw him elbow one in the face and make a run for it. Layer after layer of bunshin turned to vapor before the wave of fire.

Meanwhile, Naruto pushed back against Orochimaru's control by releasing more bijuu energy. His aura grew denser, and started taking on a fox-like shape. A flattened head, long ears, and wicked ethereal claws formed.

"Naruto? Don't get carried away." Obito cautiously stepped into his view, careful not to get too close. "Whatever you do, don't let it out completely. We can find another way to—"

Naruto's only response was a combination of roar and shriek, tilting his head back in feral rage.

Then he disappeared. For a fraction of a second, he moved too quickly for Obito to track him, even with the Sharingan.

He was too fast for Orochimaru, too. Naruto appeared below the old snake's guard and jabbed those long chakra claws straight through Orochimaru's body, impaling his chest and torso. For another slow, split second, it looked like they'd finally got him.

But then, Orochimaru froze, and then faded, creating a strange afterimage. He reappeared a few feet away. The only good sign was that he was no longer smiling.

 _Did he use kamui?_ Obito wondered, confused. Then he suddenly realized he was no longer holding the book. He looked down, patted himself frantically, looked around on the ground, then looked at Orochimaru again.

Orochimaru held up the book. "I think that's enough for now."

He might have said something else, or he might have taken his leave then and there, but Naruto was too caught up in the Kyuubi's power to stop. He went directly from one attack to another, pushing heedlessly forward, and stabbed all the claws through Orochimaru again.

This time, the snake did not disappear. His eyes widened in surprise.

The energy cloaking Naruto flared brightly as he pushed more and more. All the remaining bunshin popped. The aura was gradually changing color. It grew lighter until the tiny flickers of yellow became sweeping flames. Very faintly, Naruto's skin and clothes glowed gold.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, and for a second, he looked genuinely hateful instead of amused and condescending.

Then something came bursting out behind Orochimaru and dropped to the ground. It was gigantic white snake with the same eye markings as Orochimaru, and many, many Sharingan embedded into its neck.

Obito called out in surprise and disgust, his gaze darting frantically between the snake and Naruto. The thing Naruto had trapped was slowly growing, cracking the dimension floor and sprouting branches up into the air. The body was becoming a tree.

The moment Obito understood that, he realized Orochimaru had managed to escape at the last second.

He turned and ran. "Kabuto, watch out—!"

The snake had already closed in. Kabuto raised his arms over his head in a defensive movement. The snake bared its fangs and unhinged its jaw. It swallowed Kabuto whole.

" _No!_ "

Obito lunged at the snake, prepared to tear it in half, but it moved in a way he didn't expect. Its scales melted into flesh and shifted form. It solidified, became smaller, and very quickly became Orochimaru once again.

" _What have you done?"_ Obito still had his hand extended. Kabuto was right there just a second ago. Now he was gone.

Naruto roared again. Obito dimly noticed the heavy thud of Naruto jumping up and landing beside him. Naruto raised a giant claw again.

"Stop!" Obito grabbed his wrist. Amazingly, the Kyuubi's aura didn't burn him. "Don't use that! Kabuto's in there!"

"Yes." Orochimaru's yellow eyes glittered with anger. They'd never seen him like this. "If you want to kill me now, you will have to sacrifice him as well."

That was enough to bring Naruto back to his senses. His Kyuubi aura dissipated like steam. His eyes became blue again, and fingernails retracted back to normal.

"No." Naruto's voice wavered. "No. Not him. He hasn't even _started_ going after his dreams yet. Why's he the one who always loses out?"

Orochimaru pressed his lips into a grim line. "That's how it is. Even if you try, the future may not be better. It could be much worse than you imagine. So this is a choice. Will you do nothing and let me escape, or will you hurt your friend?"

Both of them were momentarily frozen. Obito's mind was working in numbing overdrive, searching for possibilities and solutions. They could capture Orochimaru and force him to let Kabuto go. Or they could take him to the future timeline and let them do something.

"In that case…" Orochimaru slowly raised one hand. "Goodbye."

Orochimaru's outline started to bend and twist. But at the same time, his raised hand clenched, and Obito caught a glimpse of the syringe it held before it drove the needle end into Orochimaru's stomach.

Naruto gave a startled yelp. Obito noticed the bending of space stop as Orochimaru staggered to one side, bent double.

"What… are you doing?" He looked up at them. But the voice that spoke was much higher and younger—Kabuto's voice. "You can't let him get away! We have to stop this, now."

"Kabuto!" Obito said, shocked.

"He gave himself the poison." Naruto was equally stunned.

"What are you waiting for?" Kabuto demanded. The struggle on his face—on Orochimaru's—was enormous. "Hurry and take back the eyes. If you can't do it now, there won't be another chance."

"But how can we save you?" Obito asked quickly.

"Get the eyes!"

Kabuto dropped the syringe. Whether it was Orochimaru fighting back, or the poison taking effect, he was losing control over the plant body.

Naruto dashed forward. When he reached out, Orochimaru's other hand clamped down on his wrist and threw him the other way in a single violent motion. Naruto sailed through the air until he flipped over and landed on top of a taller column.

Obito moved forward in his place. But when he reached out, his hands phased through Orochimaru.

"What?" Obito tried swiping at him repeatedly, but it kept going through. But it wasn't his doing this time. Orochimaru was using kamui. "Kabuto! What should I do?"

"I'm sorry." Kabuto's voice sounded strained and miserable. "We failed, and it's partly because of me. But I'll keep fighting. I promise. If he ever comes for you again—I'll be fighting."

"No!" Obito concentrated as hard as he could on taking hold of Orochimaru. But no matter what, his hands kept slipping through. "No! What happened to starting over? You were going to be different this time!"

"I am. I will be."

The space around Orochimaru twisted again—slowly, sluggishly. For a second, it looked like the poison would win, that the spiral wouldn't complete. Obito tried to grasp it in any way he could. He even tried jumping into the vortex as it finally became whole. But he only fell through nothing and ended up on his knees.

Obito stared at the empty space in front of him.

Orochimaru and Kabuto were gone.

Obito didn't move or breathe. If he shattered the moment, it would all be over.

But there was nothing. Just the silence.

The camp in front of him was in disarray from the battle. The tent was still leaning a bit. In front of it, the strange tree that had been Orochimaru reached its crooked branches up and out. Its papery bark was the color of a deep abyss.

Tobi's quiet laugh finally broke the silence.

"And then you have no choice but to accept the unacceptable. Reality is the most cruel to those who try believing in it."

"Shut up, scum." Obito's voice came out serrated.

Naruto was back. He stood beside Obito and looked at all the nothing.

"You might've been right," he said after a minute. "I thought I could break his control by using Kurama's energy. But I still don't really have control of _that_."

"It doesn't matter now," Obito said dully. "They're gone. Your world and Minato-sensei are gone."

"No. This isn't the time to give up." Naruto clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It's like you said—sometimes we mess up. But that's no reason to quit trying. Look."

Naruto walked toward the tree. He bent to pick up something laying among its gnarled roots. The journal.

"Look!" he said again, holding it up.

Obito got up heavily. He hardly dared hope for anything at this point, but Naruto's enthusiasm was hard to ignore. "Okay… but how is that supposed to help?"

"I'm not sure." Naruto came over and flipped through the pages, searching. "This looks like the same book me and Ero-sennin found in Orochimaru's hideout one time. But this one has pages filled out way past the one we have. _Whoa_."

He turned the open book around for Obito to see. Spread across the pages was an intricate seal, painted on with deliberate strokes. The dark lines were thinly edged with blue light. The light hadn't been visible until Naruto opened the book to those pages.

"I think this is mine." Naruto sounded awed.

Obito noticed Naruto's name inscribed in tiny letters in one corner. He very gingerly touched the paper. It almost hummed with life.

"What does it mean?" Obito wondered. "Do you think you'd really be free if we tore this out?"

"I have no idea." Naruto turned the page and held out the book again. "But we can't tear it out. Look. The one on the other side is Kabuto."

The pattern of the seal across the pages looked the same, but the brush strokes flowed differently. The handwriting of Kabuto's name was different, too.

"Nagato tried explaining this to me." Naruto's face scrunched with the effort it took to remember. "He said when I was brought to the future, it was future Kabuto who drew the seal. Then he laid a plant clone over the book, and made Nagato do the actual Summoning. It takes a strong doujutsu and a lot of energy. So for a while, it was Nagato who had my contract. But Orochimaru switched it over to himself as soon as he could. That's how he ended up being able to Summon me anytime."

Obito had no idea who Nagato was, but that was the least of their problems. "We have the contracts, but it doesn't matter, does it? Kabuto won't go back home if we break his. He'll die."

"That's not what I'm saying." Naruto gave a frustrated growl. "If we have this, maybe we can Summon him back. Right here. I think if the seal's already drawn, anyone with a strong enough doujutsu can do it. Orochimaru had a ton of Edo Tensei Uchiha at his side during the Fourth War. That's probably how he was able to get Kabuto and you."

"You're saying," Obito began slowly, "we should use the Time-Spanning Incarnation jutsu ourselves."

"Well… it'll have to be you. You have the Sharingan," Naruto admitted, lowering the book.

"Do we need to have a body for him to go in? We don't have any more of those plant clones." Obito glanced at the wicked tree. That was most definitely out.

Naruto held a finger under his chin thoughtfully. "I guess so. If his real body is gone, I guess that one counts as his now, and… mine was left behind every time I got Summoned. But we know where one might be… right? Orochimaru's lab."

"The future one?" Obito remembered the Zetsu clone Orochimaru kept there. "Would it still be there?"

"How should I know? But it's worth a try."

"Where are you going?" Tobi struggled to sit up straight, but failed. "What did you mean when you said our world is gone?"

"What'll we do about him?" Naruto jabbed his thumb toward Tobi. "Maybe I should go alone so you can keep watch over him."

"You can't get back here by yourself. If anyone should go, it's me."

"No, I need to go along," Naruto insisted. "Me and Ero-sennin explored that entire hideout in my time. We need to get in and out of there as quickly as possible, right? I mean, we're gonna have to tell Kakathree about this eventually, but I'm more worried about Kabuto right now."

"Fine. I don't think he's moving anytime soon, anyway." Obito turned toward Tobi and examined him critically. "We'll have to figure out what to do with you later. We'll be back soon, so don't try anything."

* * *

Finding the thing was just as easy as Naruto said it would be. Obito stared down at the plant clone they'd brought back, sprawled as it was over top of the open book.

It was somehow even creepier outside of the lab, a piece of the weirdness they'd experienced brought into the familiar surroundings of the kamui dimension. It didn't help that another piece of that weirdness—Tobi—had worked himself into a better sitting position and was watching their every move. Even Naruto, who had come up with this off-the-wall plan, was frowning doubtfully at the inanimate Zetsu.

"Orochimaru used this one for his younger self. Will it be okay?" he wondered aloud.

"You're asking that now?" Obito crossed his arms.

"Uh… Orochimaru absorbed his younger self, and he took out the control tag he put in this thing. It should be clear. Unless you have any better ideas?"

"No." Obito knelt down beside the clone, and Naruto did the same on the other side of it. "I'm not even sure how to do this. Didn't you say that everyone Orochimaru used for this were Edo Tensei? That means this jutsu has never been done by a living person before."

Naruto hesitated. "I don't know if it'll work or not. But we have to try."

"Even if this works, we'll be exactly where we were before," Obito said quietly. The fights and the fear and the helplessness were ready to sweep in again the moment this failed.

Naruto's lower lip trembled, and he clenched his jaw to make it stop. He stared at the Zetsu for several seconds before looking at Obito again, eyes shining. "As long as we're all together, we can figure something out."

"Yeah. Sorry." Obito put his hands down on the cold floor to keep from punching himself in the forehead. Stupid. As if he had to remind Naruto that his dad and world and everyone he knew were gone.

"Do I need to use blood?" he murmured.

"Probably? No, wait. That wouldn't be possible for the zombies, so I guess the seal is good enough on its own. But it'll take a lot of your energy. Be careful."

"Here goes nothing, I guess."

Obito took a deep breath and held his hands over the Zetsu body.

" _Kuchiyose: Time-Spanning Incarnation!_ "

Obito slammed his hands down onto the clone.

He was prepared for disappointment. He was not prepared for the clone to immediately effuse warm light. The initial burst was so bright that Obito had to squint, then it dimmed to a more tolerable glare.

Obito wasn't sure what he should be doing, so he focused on the image of the Kabuto they were trying to summon.

His hands felt locked into place. The light, as warm and inviting as it looked, pulled at him eagerly and refused to let go.

Obito struggled silently with the push and pull for about ten seconds before Naruto's voice broke through the rushing sound in his ears.

"What's going on? Isn't it taking a long time?"

"I… I think…" Obito strained, and it took a lot of focus to keep the greedy light from pulling everything out of him at once. "It needs as much energy as the person you're trying to summon. To fill the vessel."

Naruto leaned forward, eyes wide with alarm. "You shouldn't—there won't be enough left over for you to live!"

"But I'm the only one who can do this. I have to," Obito said through gritted teeth, squeezing his face tightly with effort.

Obito opened his eyes when he felt Naruto's hands fold over his.

"That doesn't mean you have to do it alone. You can use my power."

Obito stared back. Naruto's expression was fiercely determined, the blue of his eyes almost luminous from the glowing energy.

"How?" Obito asked. His throat worked painfully. Hoping again.

"The older me could transfer his energy to others, and I can too. I think I've got the feel of it now. Just focus on the seal."

"O-okay. Okay."

Obito renewed his attention toward his palms pressed flat on the clone. Naruto's hands opened and covered his, the warm, solid weight of them keeping Obito anchored in time and place.

Life and energy rushed up his arms, familiar and strange at the same time. Obito winced at the sudden pins-and-needles feeling that spread from his hands to his shoulders.

"Crap—too much." Naruto muttered. He was struggling against the pull of the light, too. Obito felt the pained numbness fade and retreat some.

They eventually managed some kind of equilibrium. Obito shifted his focus to channeling energy, rather than spending it. After a moment, he looked at Naruto again. He didn't look strained at all—only focused.

Kabuto was one thing, but how had they managed to find someone who could summon _him?_ It was hard to imagine.

"I messed up, too," Obito admitted. "You wanted me to be there, and I said no. I kept saying there was no time, but the truth was, after I found out what happened to Minato-sensei and Kushina-san… I guess I freaked out a little bit. I ended up distancing myself for no reason. So, I'm sorry—for that, and for everything."

Obito could sense his older self still watching him, but he kept his eyes fixed determinedly in front of him.

Naruto gave a baffled smile. "What, you're still talking about that stuff? I told you, it's not your—"

"No. Don't try to laugh it off this time. Let me apologize for once. Just this once."

Naruto's smile faded, and his face settled into seriousness. "I can't say I really understand, but… okay. If it makes you feel better, I'll accept your apology."

Obito swallowed against the sharp lump in his throat, and he nodded. He stared down into the glow more intently than ever.

 _Kabuto, come back._

The brightness was becoming more intense. Obito held on.

It wasn't the end yet.

There was so much Obito wanted to say, to explain the hope taking root in his mind once and for all, but he didn't want to break the spell again. Instead, he tried to put his intentions into the swirling energy. A promise for the future.

 _That's why you have to keep fighting. You're not done yet._

 _It's not enough to say we have our lives back. That means nothing if we keep chasing the shadows of who we might have been._

 _It starts from here, moving forward._

 _From now… like those lives belong to us and no one else._

 _Here and now, into a future no one's ever seen before._

* * *

 **Chapter 39: Becoming the Wind will post sometime between 4/8-4/12**


	39. Becoming the Wind

**(posted 4/8/19)**

 **CHAPTER 39 | Becoming the Wind**

 **The** glow got so bright that Naruto had to squint, but he didn't close his eyes like Obito did. He wanted to know right away if they pulled it off.

Through the glare, he saw the outline of the plant clone fade out and change. It became smaller, denser. The eerie blank face became softer, molding into familiar features.

The brightness reached a peak, then faded away to reveal Kabuto. Their version of Kabuto.

"It worked!" Naruto shouted.

At his cry, Kabuto's eyes opened. He blinked at them confusedly when Naruto bowed his head and scrubbed at his eyes with one arm.

"Naruto?"

"It was taking so long, I thought you were gone. I really thought you were dead." Naruto's voice cracked.

"What's with you and thinking everybody's dead?" Obito said wearily.

Kabuto leaned back and grinned. "You guys figured it out. Thank you."

"Are you okay?" Obito asked. "Where did you go?"

"I… I don't really remember. I was almost gone." Kabuto held up his hands, looking at his new body, and Naruto scooted back enough to give him some space. "But Orochimaru-sama—I mean, _Orochimaru_ —can travel between dimensions without the usual limits. He might not even need to make new paths to go somewhere now."

"What matters is you made it back," Naruto said. "Being under his control is awful, but having to share a body with him must be way worse."

Kabuto nodded. He closed his hands into loose fists, looking across with a thoughtful expression. "I wonder if his younger self was still there, too. I couldn't really tell, but... I think anyone in that situation would try to fight. Even if it's the same person."

Obito picked up the book with their Summoning contracts and handed it to Kabuto. Then he stood up. "It sucks he got away, but we'll have to worry about that later. Right now, we have another big problem on our hands. We're still stuck outside of Naruto's world, and Minato-sensei is stuck inside it."

Naruto and Kabuto got up too. Naruto felt that coldness in his gut, like he'd swallowed a bunch of ice water too quickly. He'd intentionally avoided the topic of going home until they found a way to save Kabuto. But now it was time to face the seemingly impossible task of making back to his world with no path, no anchor.

"We… weren't able to come up with anything last time, either," Kabuto said, throwing Naruto an apologetic glance.

"But tou-chan is there." Naruto looked around as if searching for ideas, grasping for straws. "He's not from there, he's from your world. And—you have his Hiraishin mark, right? That's what he uses to jump! Maybe you can follow that!"

Obito put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed his eyes shut. He was quiet for several tense seconds. Then he opened his eyes again, and they gleamed with unshed tears.

"I… can't." His tired voice wavered. "Jumping into a timeline isn't the same thing as Hiraishin. The whole point of an anchor is to find _one_ version of the person you want, one life out of the infinite number of possibilities. The _other_ Minato-sensei put this seal on me, and he's gone."

"Oh." Naruto's heart sank. "So you're saying… if you had a mark made by the one we want to find, you could do it?"

"I have no idea. But that's the only thing that stands a chance of working."

Tobi shifted in his seated position, and they turned to look at him, immediately on guard. He reached into his coat with his human hand, still awkward and clumsy from the poison.

"Don't move!" Obito growled.

They tensed as he brought out a knife. But Naruto blinked when he saw what it was. Minato's dagger.

"Would this work?" Tobi asked.

"That's—" Naruto half-jumped forward in a rush of excitement. "If that's the one you took from me, it _did_ come from him! But… why would you try to help us?" He glanced up from the knife to Tobi's blood-streaked face.

"If it's the only way to return, there isn't much of a choice, is there?" Tobi responded coldly.

"Give me that." Obito strode forward and snatched the dagger out of Tobi's hand.

"Well?" Kabuto asked, coming up behind them cautiously.

Obito closed his eyes and concentrated. He frowned, uncertain. "Maybe. I can sense him, but… the link feels really weak, like… I don't know. It'll be tough to take all of us across."

"I can stay here," Kabuto said, resigned.

"No way." Obito's eyes snapped open. "You're not staying here alone until we know whether that thing's dangerous." He pointed at the tree that had sprouted in the middle of the camp.

With its inky bark and crooked, barren branches, it looked burned at first glance. But under a better look, it was obviously unscathed and—most unnervingly—alive.

"I'll get rid of it after all this, just in case Orochimaru still has some kind of connection with it," Obito continued. "In the meantime, you need to come with us. For that matter…" his gaze drifted back to Tobi again. "Maybe it would be better to hand this guy over to the Rokudaime. He knows way too much."

"Rokudaime? I have no idea what you're talking about." Tobi snorted. "No one has explained to me how your supposed 'time-travel' factors into this. I told you I have no interest in other worlds."

Naruto came closer to him. "The truth is, you're going to be a prisoner either way. If we take you home, the Mizukage wants to question you about Yagura. If we take you to the future, you'll be hidden away because of what you know. Either way, you can forget about escaping."

"There's another option," Obito said. "I can keep him locked up here, the way he's done to so many others. Let him see how it feels."

Naruto looked at Obito in wide-eyed surprise. "Keeping him here? Is that really what you'd want?"

"You're the one who said making him Kiri's prisoner wasn't the right way. Besides… he could tell me things about my world I can't find out on my own. It's ok. I won't let him get to me."

"Your world… is that the past?" Tobi asked carefully.

"Yeah." Obito crossed his arms. "You can help me save all the things you managed to screw up when it was your turn. If not, you can spend the rest of your life rotting in a cell somewhere."

"If it means dealing with you, I'd _rather_ rot."

"Big words from someone who can't even move." Obito turned to the other two. "Either way, it'll be easier and quicker if we're not lugging dead weight around. Let's go see what's happening on the other side first. But we'd better take all his weapons and tie him up, just in case."

Tobi seethed quietly as they worked. He could do nothing as they took his coat, searched him for weapons, and tied his hands behind his back. Kabuto gave him another dose of the plant-cell suppressant, then he held glowing palms over Tobi's missing, bleeding eye.

Kabuto retracted his hands in surprise. "This side of your face is still mostly human. It's just damaged."

"Where does the plant stuff start?" Naruto asked, craning over curiously.

"Hard to tell. It's been part of him for a long time."

"Hmm. Will he be ok here without food and water?"

"I don't know. Let's ask him."

"If you could all _get your hands off me_." Tobi hissed, leaning away as much as he could—which wasn't much.

"You know, he's not so bad when he can't do anything." Naruto didn't bother trying to suppress his grin.

Obito glanced back at the camp. "We shouldn't leave anything important in here, either. I'll move Kabuto's stuff to my place for right now. Naruto, can you help Kabuto pack up anything he wants to take? I want to talk to this guy for a minute."

"What're you—"

"Okay. It should all fit in my trunk." Kabuto pulled on Naruto's arm and motioned toward the tent.

Naruto frowned, but followed Kabuto. He propped up the dislodged tent pole and Kabuto ducked under the flap to go inside.

The interior wasn't completely trashed, as Naruto had expected after a wave of snakes had come bursting out of this place.

Kabuto hurried over to a folding table loaded with papers and books and started stacking things carefully into a truck at the foot of his cot. Naruto pulled one of the handles and dragged the trunk closer.

"Do you think Orochimaru stole anything else?"

"It doesn't look that way. He knows everything we know, anyway. The book was the only thing he didn't have." Kabuto looked somber again as he took the book out from the folds of his top. He stared at it in his hand for a second, then held it out to Naruto. "Here."

"You want me to hold on to it?" Naruto took the book gingerly by one corner.

"Destroy it if you want. You should have a choice in it. I shouldn't have hidden it from you." Kabuto blinked like he was trying to keep the tears from coming back.

"Hey—I mean, I understand why you did it. You wanted us to meet again, right? Besides, I can't destroy it. It's what's keeping you here." Naruto flipped to his own double-page spread again and rested his fingertips lightly on the paper. He halfway expected to feel something, like a chill up his spine, but he felt nothing as he ran his fingers along the swirling ink marks that represented his contract with Orochimaru.

Kabuto's seal started on the next page, on the other side of one of his—and Obito's began on the next one.

Naruto closed the book. "You've seen this, so you know, right? There are plenty of ways to figure this out that don't involve risking your life. But I'll keep the book safe for you, if you want. We definitely don't want it to stay here."

"Right." Kabuto nodded.

They quickly finished gathering up everything else Kabuto considered valuable information, including several scrolls and books, a cipher, and files full of loose papers. The trunk was heavy when they finished, but Naruto and Kabuto each took one of the handles and carried it outside.

Obito turned away from Tobi and came toward them. Naruto glanced at Tobi. He was still sitting in the same spot, slumped forward, staring at the ground. He turned his head just enough to catch Naruto's gaze with the replacement left eye. Naruto wondered who he'd taken it from, and why he'd even bothered with something that wasn't the Sharingan.

"Orochimaru really did manage to steal most of Tobi's resources," Obito said, noticing. "I thought that eye might secretly be a Sharingan, but he says if it was, he wouldn't have been caught off guard by Orochimaru. Which—whatever, but I don't think he's lying."

"Then where'd it come from?"

"Someone who will not be missed," Tobi said softly.

"There you have it. He won't give a straight answer about anything." Obito shrugged. "But as long as there are no surprises, I guess we can let him keep it. I'm not really in the mood to take anyone's eye out, anyway."

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Yeah. There's been enough of that for one day."

Obito put his hand on top of the trunk. "Is this everything? Okay." He pushed the trunk. It disappeared with one smooth motion, squeezing small from one end as if it had vanished down an invisible tube.

"Ready?" Obito asked the other two.

"Yeah." Naruto gave a thumbs-up. "Time to find tou-chan and make sure everyone's okay."

* * *

The Sanbi gave a final push, headbutting the barrier and letting loose another ear-splitting shriek.

The bright cracks that had gradually spread all along the barrier's translucent walls and ceiling finally shattered.

The pieces hung suspended in the air for just a second, then flickered out of existence.

Kakashi faltered for one step before he continued running toward the Sanbi. He knew in his gut that Minato had jumped wherever the danger was the highest. He only hoped that this time, he wouldn't get there too late.

"Kakashi! Report." Tsunade appeared beside him, matching his pace.

"I'm not sure what's happening," Kakashi said. "I don't know where Jiraiya-sama went. And some version of Minato-sensei appeared—I think he went to fight the Sanbi."

Tsunade swore colorfully under her breath. "So it's true. They're from the past."

"What do we do?"

"The Mizukage is busy restraining all the Kiri shinobi that suddenly appeared. She wants everyone below jounin level to go back to the village and assist with evacuations. They've already sent word for everyone inside to go underground."

"What about Sakura?"

"She's with the Mizukage. I've left Katsuyu with them."

"Mei-sama will have questions for us when this is all over."

"We'll come up with something," Tsunade said tersely. "But the barrier is down. We need to keep the Sanbi away from the village until they can—"

The Sanbi roared in rage again. A fresh wave of rain lashed at them from the newly opened sky. The beast's continuing cry was nearly drowned out by a crack of thunder.

It made a frightening silhouette against the sky as the stormy clouds lit up.

And then, somehow, it was... gone.

Kakashi blinked through the rain and jumped up onto a tree branch.

The sky was still dark for midday. But it was light enough to see clearly. In fact, it was rapidly getting lighter. The rain eased to a light patter. The sea stopped tossing itself around violently and fell back into place.

"Do you see anything?" Tsunade called to him.

Kakashi knew better than to feel relieved. It was too much like the last time. The sudden quiet, the release of pressure in the air, the way nature settled back to normal—the sensation was seared into his memory.

"No," he breathed.

Kakashi continued forward without answering Tsunade, but she followed without further questions.

They finally arrived where the Sanbi had been just moments ago. The ground here was stomped and broken, trees snapped and leveled. It only took a second to scan the clearing created by its agitation. It had made it to the edge of the island, as if preparing to escape into the sea.

Kakashi spotted Minato laying in a crater made by one of the Sanbi's feet. He ran over there, heart racing, hands trembling like he was fourteen all over again.

But when he reached his teacher's side, Minato let out a hiss of pain and rolled over. His flak vest was discarded, the shirt underneath torn, and his hands were bloodied.

Hurt, but alive—he was alive.

"Sensei!" Kakashi said urgently. "What happened?"

Minato grimaced like he'd taken a dose of bitter medicine, then looked up at Kakashi. His clear blue eyes jumped from him to Tsunade as she arrived further back.

"I can't right now, I'm sorry." Minato got one leg underneath himself, then the other, and he stood up. He staggered, and Kakashi braced him.

"Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said, looking over at her.

Tsunade came toward them, but she didn't move to help Minato right away. "You're not Edo Tensei. How did you get here? What happened to the Sanbi?"

Minato glanced away, then back at Tsunade again. He clearly wanted to leave, and as he shifted his weight, Kakashi could tell he was torn between giving them answers and continuing whatever self-imposed mission he had.

Finally, Minato chose to speak. "Me and one of my subordinates encountered the Sanbi on a mission. Somehow, it combined with the Sanbi from this world and brought us with it. We will return home as soon as I find him. He was taken by a masked man."

"Obito?" Tsunade guessed. "Are you sure it was the Sanbi who brought you? From what I hear, Obito can move freely from the past to this time. And bring others with him."

Kakashi kept his hold on Minato, determined to keep him from jumping away alone. "Don't go. You don't know what you're dealing with. I already told you—"

"—The masked man is part of a group hunting the bijuu," Minato said, clarity and sharpness returning to his voice. "I don't know the details, but I understand this situation is bad enough to make former enemies work together. Where is my son?"

Kakashi let go. "He was taken, too, but he escaped before all this started."

"No. He should have arrived by now," Tsunade said, narrowing her eyes in realization. "If he found out what happened, or got captured along the way…"

Minato shook his head. "Wherever they are, they're fighting. That means I have to go, too. Sorry, but I have to leave the rest of this to you. The Sanbi won't be a problem here anymore."

"Stop!" Tsunade took a step forward when Minato took a step back. "You're not going anywhere. We still have some questions for you—"

Minato dipped his head in apology and disappeared.

"Damn it!" Tsunade hit her fist on a dislodged boulder. It cracked loudly and disintegrated into a thousand pebbles.

Kakashi stared at the spot where Minato had disappeared. "What happened to the Sanbi? Do you think he…"

Tsunade went quiet for a moment. "I think so. No, I'm almost certain."

"How? Performing a Sealing on yourself is—"

"It's not impossible." Tsunade gave him a serious look. "He was already dying when he sought help from the Shinigami. There was nothing to lose—and the sacrifice guarantees it will work. But we know it's possible to go it alone. My grandmother did it."

Kakashi gave a soft, resigned sigh. "How do we even begin to explain this?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Today's far from over, and I already need a drink. Where the hell is Jiraiya?"

* * *

Minato landed in a forested area with cheerful sunshine streaming through newly sprouted leaves and blossoms. It was a stark change from the gloom over Water's islands. The jump had taken him back to the continent.

Minato stumbled again and braced himself against a tree. He felt strange; burning and freezing and exhausted and restless at the same time.

But the sensation itself was tolerable. The truly disorienting part wasn't the physical feeling, but the cacophony raging inside—so loud he could barely hear himself think.

Now Minato understood why the Sanbi had been so agitated earlier. It was fighting against itself, one version against the other. It was a creature made of pure energy. It couldn't maintain their identities as separate beings.

Jumbled images and emotions rushed through his mind along with the terrible sound of two beasts trapped in the same cage. He saw the old man. A child with pale pink eyes. The same child as a man. Kakashi, with one Sharingan, looking desperate and terrified. Obito. Rin. Kakashi once more.

Minato's grip on the bark slipped and he blinked, suddenly finding himself hands and knees on the grass. The concept of up and down hardly made any sense.

He pushed himself back up, mentally forcing a door shut against the noise and negative emotions. Whichever version of the bijuu won, he would have to face it later. Right now, he had to find Naruto and Obito.

He found what he was looking for: Obito's discarded mantle underneath a bush. Minato dragged it out. The markers he'd given Obito for the mission clinked as he uncovered them.

A dead-end lead. Obito wasn't here anymore.

Minato packed away the markers and stood. As he did, before he'd even decided where to look next, his three time-travelers tumbled into existence in front of him.

"Yes!" Naruto was the first one to react. He disentangled himself from the others and looked around eagerly, breaking into a huge grin when he spotted Minato. "Tou-chan!"

Minato blinked again in surprise when Naruto tackle-hugged him, then smiled. He found his footing and rested a hand on top of Naruto's head. The weight of another person was solid enough to keep him grounded. It was that warm feeling he'd begun associating with his and Kushina's future child—a mixture of recognition, joy, and fond amusement. It made all other concerns somehow less important than before.

"It's good to see you," Minato said. He gently backed away to hold Naruto at arm's length, and examined the other two as well. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

The boys all had an alarming amount of blood on their clothes. Obito had the least—only because he'd been wearing that mantle earlier, Minato suspected.

Naruto leaned back to look up at him. "We're okay, thanks to Kabuto. What about you? You've got…" He turned over Minato's hand. The slash he'd made on his palm was already noticeably healed, as if it was made days ago, not minutes.

Minato withdrew his hand and closed it. "Somehow, an entire battle got transported from our time to this one. Everything is under control now, so I left to find you. I'm not sure what I would have done if I got stranded here," he added good-naturedly.

"You don't know the half of it! It's only because you're here we were able to get back at all. Show him," Naruto said to Obito.

Obito held up one of the dagger markers. "I was able to follow this back to you. If not for that, we might have been cut off from this place forever. Like when Naruto got stuck. When he leaves this place, it causes problems."

"That means Orochimaru isn't here anymore, either," Minato guessed.

"Yeah! We pummeled him!" Naruto said.

Minato frowned. "You fought Orochimaru?"

"Er… sort of. He ran away."

"We're lucky he wasn't used to his new powers yet. And that he didn't have a need for us anymore," Kabuto said.

Naruto scoffed. "Whatever. It still counts. We all walked away, didn't we?"

Minato noticed Obito's expression change at this, and his heart sank. Even if Obito tried to hide it from the others, Minato could tell the jinchuuriki's death was still affecting him. These kids were not going to like it when they discovered what he'd done.

"Obito," he said carefully. "If all that's true, it means when we go back home, Naruto won't be able to visit us again without becoming stranded. It means you can only reach this place if he stays here."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "But—no. All I have to do is leave this dagger somewhere safe, and Obito will be able to follow it back. Right?" he asked Obito.

Obito looked at the dagger in his hand, considering. Then he slowly shook his head. "I'm not completely sure, but… I don't think so. This marker has this Minato-sensei's chakra signature, so that's how I can follow it to him. It's gotta be directly from the marker to the source."

"It will be alright," Minato said, if only to ease the stricken look on Naruto's face. He gave his son a reassuring smile. "If we can't find a way for you to visit, we'll come to you. Goodbyes won't have to be for very long."

"What now?" Obito asked. "We can't go home until…" He glanced at Naruto, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I guess it's up to you."

Naruto lowered his eyes. "Tsunade-baachan must be losing it over everything that's happened. We were trying to keep the dimension-travel thing a secret, so it doesn't get back to Akatsuki or anyone else. It's probably better if you guys don't show up in front of everyone again, but… you weren't the only ones to get transported here, right?"

"The Kiri-nin we were fighting came along as well," Minato said. "They're still on the island, and the Mizukage has been apprehending them."

"It's better if we talk to Baa-chan first. I don't care what she decides to tell them, but everyone who got transported here should have the chance to go home. Okay," Naruto said decisively. "Before anything, we need to get her caught up."

* * *

"What did you just say?" Jiraiya asked, stunned.

On a hunch, Jiraiya used his Toad Prison to emerge from the toad he'd set to follow Sasuke. It was a long shot, but there was a chance Madara would go to him.

The last thing Jiraiya expected when he climbed out of the toad's mouth was to find Itachi.

Sasuke clearly hadn't expected it, either. He was standing far from either of them, Sharingan eyes bearing on Itachi with nearly as much uncertainty as anger.

"Stop brushing me off!" Sasuke said. "Stop running away. If there is a truth, I'll find it, no matter how long I have to keep chasing after it."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Itachi said softly. He wasn't looking at Sasuke while he spoke. "Things have changed, and previous arrangements I've made are no longer valid. That's why I've made this decision." His gaze met Jiraiya's once again. "I will turn myself in to the village in exchange for Sasuke's involvement with Madara and Orochimaru being forgotten. Whatever happened was the result of him chasing me."

"If you won't tell me the truth, at least stop talking over my head!" Sasuke sliced his hand through the air in agitation, and a crackle of electricity popped over his skin. "You're the last person who has a say in what I do. I'm not going back."

Itachi finally looked at Sasuke. "Even if I return, you won't?"

Silence fell. Sasuke continued to look like he might lash out at any moment. He was a bundle of tension, radiating hostile intent from every line. By contrast, Itachi stood open and relaxed, even resigned. He was refusing to be pulled into the muddy swirl of Sasuke's emotions.

"I don't know," Jiraiya said. "I can't speak for all those official people. I've always been kind of apart from them. That's the trade-off I make for doing what I want."

"I understand. And, I suspect, they will have more things to worry about by the time today is over."

"Somebody tell me what's going on," Sasuke said quietly.

"I'm glad you've chosen to deflate rather than blow up this time." Jiraiya glanced at Itachi, who offered nothing. He sighed. Getting involved in intense family drama was decidedly _not_ what he'd signed up for.

He spoke to Itachi. "Naruto keeps saying you're not loyal to Akatsuki, and that you were never really a traitor. At this point, I believe him. But if you come back, it'll be as a criminal. I can't imagine it being any other way. Not without evidence, or an explanation people will accept."

"I don't want to be cleared. I only want to stop this before my mistakes grow larger and larger."

"How are you not a traitor? Was it someone else who killed everyone?" Sasuke demanded. Even though his anger and scorn, Jiraiya could see Sasuke actually holding on to that possibility. Searching for anything that could make sense of the nonsensical.

"Sorry to interrupt again." Jiraiya held up one hand. "I'm just remembering what happened the last time you two met on my watch. I don't know the full story here, but I know enough to guess that one conversation, or—" he raised a brow at Itachi, "knowing you, one big zap of genjutsu—isn't the best way to unpack this. Okay, Itachi. Just do me a favor and answer my two very simple questions first. One: if I take you back to the village, will you tell us the full truth about what happened? None of it has to go beyond the Hokage's office."

"Yes. My intention is to clear things up."

"Then, a follow up question: if Sasuke comes back with us, will you agree to tell him anything he wants to know—in a calm, non-traumatizing way?"

Sasuke's head snapped toward Jiraiya in surprise. Then he glanced back at Itachi again.

Itachi hesitated. "You don't know what you're asking. Even if Sasuke was willing to go that far to hear the truth, learning it may not have the effect anyone hopes for. But," he added, "I've learned that my first instinct isn't always right. Hiding it hasn't yielded good results so far. I'd be willing to give it a try."

"There you go, kid," Jiraiya said. "Come with us, listen to the story, then decide where to go from there. It's my best offer, so take it or leave it. Either way, I'm bringing this guy in."

Jiraiya walked toward Itachi. He knew this was the tricky part, the moment when Sasuke could go either way. It all depended on how much he'd gained the kid's trust—and how much he wanted to know the truth.

"Wait," Sasuke said. Jiraiya stopped and looked over his shoulder at him.

"Yes?"

"If I go back, it won't be to stay. It will be to see this through, and nothing else."

"Why? You don't want to see your team? Well, it makes no difference to me," Jiraiya said, even knowing Naruto would likely be upset with him for saying it. "If you want to come along without being seen, I can arrange that. But you'll have to make a decision once this is all over."

"I know that."

"Alright. As long as we're all on the same page." Jiraiya motioned for his transport-turned-tracker toad, and it croaked and hopped over.

"That again?" Sasuke's lip curled in distaste.

Jiraiya laughed loudly. "Well, there's at least one thing you and Naruto have in common. How else do you expect me to bring two rogue brothers in with everything else going on? We still haven't resolved the issue of the missing Madara and Orochimaru—which, by the way, I need to get back to dealing with as soon as possible."

"I was trapped within Madara's pocket dimension," Itachi said. "I was freed by a boy with the same ability who called himself Uchiha Obito."

"You saw him?" Sasuke demanded. He turned back to Jiraiya. "You said he was Madara from another time."

"It's really complicated." Jiraiya sighed in aggravation. "I should have known that's where you were. I came out here after Madara took the kid and ran off. Do you know where they are now?"

"I told them to escape while they had the chance. But if Naruto hasn't contacted you yet, it may mean they didn't listen."

"What!" Jiraiya slapped a hand to his forehead. "I can't believe this. He was there, too? He was supposed to be—you know what, never mind. Everyone get in the toad." He pointed at the toad, who gurgled obligingly and opened its mouth wide. "I feel like I should be restraining one of you, but I'm not sure which one. Just get in, and don't start any fights while I'm not looking, or you'll be sorry."

Itachi nodded. Sasuke looked more and more skeptical by the moment.

* * *

Tsunade was trying to keep her cool—really, genuinely trying. If she hadn't sent Shizune to Suna along with her bunshin, the young medic would have definitely seen the warning signs and tried to intervene before now.

As it was, she was stuck with a brooding Kakashi and the Mizukage's stammering aide as they searched for anyone still injured or trapped on the island.

Mei, Ao, and most of Mei's people had already left to check on the situation in the village, taking the displaced time-travelers with them. As a precautionary measure, everyone in Kiri would remain underground for the rest of the day and overnight.

The atmosphere couldn't be more different than an hour previously. They went from fighting for their lives to nothing.

"O-Orochimaru used the Edo Tensei to revive previous Hokage before, right?" Chojuro said, nervously filling in the silence as they picked through the ruins of the old prison. "He and Madara could still be out there fighting somewhere."

"That, we can agree on. If we knew where, we could strike before either of them have the chance to come back here," Tsunade said.

They looked into the gaping hole in the ground that was the prison remains. The aboveground part of the tower was completely leveled, and portions of the underground were caved in as well.

"It's not safe for any of us to go down there," Tsunade concluded. "I'll send Katsuyu to search in case there's anyone living—though it doesn't seem likely."

"None of us were in there," Chojuro said quickly as Tsunade went through the Summoning jutsu for the second time that day and slammed her hand down onto the ground. "I don't know about all those people who appeared here, though."

Tsunade stood from her crouch and addressed the waiting slug. "If you find anyone, send a message. Carry out any that are safe to move."

"Understood." Katsuyu waved her feelers in a nod-like motion, then slithered down into the hole, pieces coming off her and becoming other slugs that went in many different directions.

"Do you have any idea where those people might have come from?" Tsunade asked Chojuro, ignoring Kakashi's questioning glance.

"Me? No." Chojuro said. "Before they went back, Mei-sama said it could be more rogues under Madara's influence. He could have put them under a genjutsu to cause confusion."

"In that case, they'll probably cross-reference their identities with Kiri's records," Kakashi said, his meaningful look boring a hole in Tsunade's head.

She knew what he was hinting at. Sooner or later, Mei and the others would realize that the guards were neither delusional nor rebels. Worst case, one or more of them could be duplicates of people still living in Kiri today.

Had it been only Minato, they could have let the Edo Tensei theory continue on. But at this rate, the Mizukage would have to be told some measure of the truth if they wanted this cooperative relationship to continue. Which meant that the knowledge of real, long-reaching time travel was that much closer to getting out.

No matter who it was, they couldn't allow that to happen. The risk of it getting out—from Orochimaru, from Akatsuki, from who-knew-what else—was just too great.

"Baa-chan! Kakashi-sensei!"

They whirled around to see Naruto waving at them from beside a broken section of stone wall.

"Naruto!" Kakashi sounded relieved.

"Naruto-kun!" Chojuro seemed genuinely relieved, too.

There was a huge grin on Naruto's face, despite… Tsunade scanned him for injuries automatically when she saw the deep red stain spread over the front of his shirt. His jacket was missing, as was his hitai-ate. His unruly hair and overall scruffiness gave the impression that he'd been dragged across half the continent.

"Where have you been?" Tsunade demanded. "Jiraiya swore you were safe and on the way here. After all this, I'm not sure which of you deserves a suspension more."

Naruto winced. "Er… technically, I'm not here right now, either. This is a bunshin."

"Where are you? What happened?" Kakashi interrupted as Tsunade took in a deep breath.

Naruto's bunshin grew serious. "Orochimaru caught up to Madara, took his eye, and escaped. We weren't able to stop him, but…" he glanced at Chojuro, apparently reluctant to go on.

Chojuro blinked. "A-Aa! So Orochimaru got away. What about Madara?"

The bunshin looked back at Tsunade, and suddenly she understood. Whatever happened to the fake Madara, it involved one of the topics she'd told him to keep secret. And since he was following instructions for once, whatever he had to say probably involved at least one of the people he was trying to protect.

Tsunade crossed her arms. "It seems it's complicated. Chojuro, how soon do you think we can meet with the Mizukage?"

"What? Oh. She'll want to see you right away if you have any news about Madara. Do you want me to let her know now?"

"Yes. We'll catch up after I hear Naruto's report, as soon as we're sure this area is clear of any injured."

Tsunade, Kakashi, and Naruto stood silently for a minute after Chojuro left.

"Are you alright?" Tsunade asked, allowing some of the concern she felt to show.

The Naruto clone pressed a hand to his chest. "I'm fine now. We fought against Madara and Orochimaru, but everyone's ok. Madara can't use his space-time jutsu anymore. We're holding him captive right now."

" _What?_ " Kakashi said.

"'We' who?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"It'll be easier to explain if you come with us. I figured you'd want the chance to hear about it first, but tou-chan and the others don't want to be seen near here. We won't be gone long."

Tsunade and Kakashi exchanged a look. That also explained where Minato had gone.

"Not to worry, Godaime Hokage-sama." A form emerged from the broken wall behind Naruto. A vaguely familiar kid with dark eyes and black, spiky hair stood beside Naruto. He gave a sideways smile. "We'll have this bunshin stand guard here while we're gone. If anything happens, he'll disperse and let Naruto know. You can be back here in one second."

"Obito is taking you guys there," the bunshin clarified. "I know this seems weird, but you can trust him."

"I saw you before. Madara—took you before he left," Kakashi said falteringly. "Are you really Obito?"

Obito tilted his head to one side. "Which one were you? Kakatwo?" Then he grinned. "It's kinda fun knowing more than you for once."

"Hurry up. They gotta be back here before anyone notices." The bunshin crossed his arms and tapped one foot.

"Right then. What'll it be?" Obito held out one hand to each of them. Kakashi and Tsunade exchanged a glance.

* * *

 **Chapter 40, Meeting and a Warning, will post as soon as I can get it done and everything tied up the way I want it. Hopefully, it won't take as long as this chapter! (I can't guarantee it though, because that's just tempting fate at this point).**

 **Chapter 40 will be the final chapter!**

 **There will likely be an epilogue sometime later, but it may be a good bit later, as it was with TWTBW.**

 **In the meantime, I want to sincerely thank everyone who has made it this far with me. When chapter 40 posts, I'll have some information about possible next projects. Please let me know what sorts of things you'd like to see me try next, and/if the kind of things you'd like to see from this series.**


	40. Meeting and a Warning (END)

**[posted 5/27/19]**

 **CHAPTER 40 | Meeting and a Warning**

 **The** six of them sat in a loose circle, a strange group meeting in the thick forest of Fire, half a day's travel south of Grass. At least, that's where Minato guessed they were, based on his network of permanent markers that still existed throughout the country.

Naruto did most of the talking, quickly catching everyone up on what had happened in Obito's kamui dimension. When he finished, all three adults silently exchanged looks.

"I'm sorry you had to face that alone," Tsunade said finally. "It should have been our job to deal with Orochimaru. We let Madara slip away from us, and that's what gave him the opportunity."

Naruto shook his head. "You guys had the Sanbi to deal with. Besides, what's more important is that Orochimaru's still out there, and now he has some super-dimension-traveling powers that can take him anywhere. What do we do?"

"About Orochimaru? I don't think there's anything we _can_ do, other than be ready if he ever comes back."

Obito crossed his arms. "I could have followed him if I had the Mangekyou." He shot a glance at Naruto. "Would it have killed you to play dead for a minute?"

" _What?_ Are you kidding me—fine! Next time, I will."

"Please don't joke about that." Kabuto palmed his forehead.

"Kabuto, you gotta help, or else it won't be convincing."

"I refuse."

"Suddenly, I'm worried these three have too much of an influence on one another," Minato said. His tone was light, but Naruto could sense the underlying tension in his posture, the way he sat on a large rock with hands propped on knees, as if holding himself upright.

"Even if you _could_ follow Orochimaru, it doesn't mean you should," Kakashi said. "As for Madara… where is he now?"

Obito looked at Naruto and Kabuto, raising a questioning brow, silently asking their opinions. Naruto shrugged. Kabuto nodded.

"In my kamui, obviously," Obito said. "That's the only way I can be sure he won't escape. And I'm not planning on handing him over, either."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "If you're trying to defend him—"

"Because he's me? Is that what you think?" Obito looked across at Minato. "That's the truth, and I'm tired of trying to run away from it. He's the version of me from this timeline." Obito turned to address Tsunade again. "And I'm not defending him. You guys can ask whatever you want, do whatever you want, but he has to stay in my dimension. I don't know much about Akatsuki, but I doubt a normal prison would be enough if they went looking for him."

"How long have you known about this... other you, Obito?" Minato asked, sounding distinctly unsurprised.

Naruto glanced back and forth between them. Again, he wanted to say something, but he knew this particular battle was Obito's to fight.

Obito looked uncomfortable. "I found out about it the first time I went to the future dimension. But I swear—no matter what happens, I'll never, _never_ turn out the way he—"

"That's not my concern, exactly." Minato shook his head. "I don't understand this world's circumstances, so I can't say much about that. I only wondered if that's what's been weighing on you this whole time. Why you started being less open with everyone. It didn't seem like you."

Obito flushed and looked down at his feet, his defiance utterly dissolved.

Kakashi took a step toward Minato. "That aside… it's not like the kamui dimension is inescapable. All he would have to do is take Obito's eyes. That makes it more dangerous for him than anyone else. Sensei, maybe he'll listen to you. We should come up with something else."

Minato shook his head. "I don't like the idea, either. Not that I'm one to talk, but I think we've done enough already to interfere with this timeline."

"But…" Obito floundered for words. "You can't pretend you don't care about Akatsuki! They're after Naruto, too!"

"Will they even be able to complete their goals without the Sanbi?" Minato asked Tsunade.

"Wait," Naruto interjected. "What do you mean, without the Sanbi? What did you guys do on this side?"

There was a long stretch of silence, then Minato sighed and then rubbed the back of his head.

"In my time, one strategy we had been looking at recently was to steal it, in order to undercut Kiri's efforts. It was… only an idea. But an idea I was told to keep in mind, nonetheless. Interfering with Akatsuki in this time wasn't my only goal, but it did influence my decision." He gave the boys a rueful smile. "That's why I don't particularly feel I'm in a position to give lectures at the moment. I sealed the Sanbi within myself."

Naruto stood up from the grass. Obito and Kabuto stared with eyes widened.

"You…" Naruto walked over and reached out, fingertips brushing his shoulders as if afraid he would suddenly vanish. Nothing about him seemed particularly different. Naruto tried to sense Minato's energy, but his emotions were too embroiled for him to concentrate.

The light touch became fists full of fabric as Naruto grabbed Minato around the collar. "You… you _idiot!_ There was no reason for you to do that! They already had a plan to take care of it! Stupid! Stupid!" He made to accentuate the words by hitting Minato's chest, but ran out of steam halfway and bowed his head.

Minato carefully extricated the hand still clutching him, then rested an arm across Naruto's shoulders and let him lean in.

"It's not so bad," Minato said. "After all, I know two very strong people who manage to live with it admirably. Still… I have another reaction like that to look forward to when I get home."

Naruto backed up, rubbing a finger under his nose and sniffling. "If the Sanbi isn't in this world… Akatsuki won't be able to reunite them to create the Juubi. I guess that's a good thing." He looked back at the others. "And if we keep Tobi away from Akatsuki too, they'll have even less firepower."

Tsunade was still standing with her arms crossed. She tapped one finger against her other arm as she considered.

"It's true we get some good out of the false Madara leaving this world entirely. That would make it easier to keep all this a secret. But I don't want some snot-nosed brat to hold the keys to one of the most dangerous criminals of our time. Especially considering his identity."

"But—" Naruto started.

"You can do whatever you want to make yourself feel better about it," Obito said with a shrug. "Build him a metal box or cover him with seals. I don't care."

Tsunade glowered. "Disrespectful _brat—"_

Obito returned her scowl with a serious look. "Even if we have to be enemies, I'm not letting him come back here. At least not while Akatsuki is still around."

"Wait." Kakashi stayed Tsunade with a hand. "Putting aside his terrible attitude, I think Obito might be right."

"What? Say that again."

"…Nevermind. He's definitely wrong."

"Hey!"

"But we can let it go for now. We need to decide how much we're going to tell Kiri. That will affect what we need to do next."

Tsunade closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "If they end our alliance against Akatsuki after this disaster of a mission, we could get by—except it's not that simple. The Sanbi, Madara, and Orochimaru are all missing, and there are dozens of time travelers in Kiri right now."

"Blame it on the older me," Obito said. "Tell them about kamui—say that he took the Sanbi and disappeared. And the people from the past… if they disappear too, it'll seem like everything snapped back to normal, right? We can take them home."

"Claiming to know nothing might be the easiest way," Tsunade said. "But Kiri only agreed to help us fight Akatsuki because of Madara. If they believe he and the Sanbi are still out there, and continue fighting alongside us because of that, who exactly do you think is responsible for any lives lost to Akatsuki? I'll tell you—mine, for taking advice from a kid."

"He means well, Tsunade-sama," Minato said softly. "But you're right. This situation is partly my fault, too. I don't know all the details, but is there a way you could discuss it with the Mizukage alone? If you think it's worth trusting one outsider with the information, I would be willing to meet them as well. That way, at least they can decide on behalf of their own people whether to continue the fight."

Obito was staring down at the ground again, face reddened. Naruto clapped a hand on his back and spoke to Tsunade. "I know we can trust Lava-Lady. Plus, she can see Tobi and ask him questions too. Right?" He added to Obito.

"Yeah, and she'll probably try to kill me so I can't turn out like that," Obito muttered.

"We won't let that happen. Besides, your kamui is the best place for everyone to catch up with what's going on."

"It's not perfect, but it'll have to do," Tsunade said. "Minato, when do you think the two of you can come back?"

Minato rested a hand over his stomach. "I have to think of what to tell Sandaime-sama and the others, too. We can stay here until after you talk with the Mizukage, but a more organized meeting will have to wait until after we go home."

"What about Kabuto? He can't stay in my kamui anymore," Obito asked, gesturing toward Kabuto, who had been watching them silently throughout most of the conversation.

Minato frowned. "He can come back with us, but we'll have to think of some explanation."

"Actually, if it's okay, I want to stay here." Kabuto turned toward Tsunade. "Things worked out this time, but I want to be much stronger than I am. Tsunade-sama, I've heard that you—"

"I've heard about you, too," Tsunade interrupted. "You lost your world after Orochimaru brought you forward. If you want to stay with us, that can be arranged. But I am not taking on any more students."

"I… I understand. But… if you could let me watch you work, or help out at the hospital sometimes, I think I could learn a lot that way."

Tsunade sighed. "Maybe. Ask me sometime later, when I'm not busy trying to invent inter-dimensional diplomacy."

"There's another good reason for me to stay here," Kabuto said, glancing over and noticing Obito's put out expression. "You should be able to use me as an anchor to reach this world."

"Oh!" Naruto hit a fist to his hand. Obito caught his eye and nodded. If Obito could use the book to find Kabuto, it meant he'd be able to visit the past again.

Minato stood from the boulder he was sitting on. "If that's decided, we'll wait here a little longer to hear what the Mizukage says. Specifically…" He hesitated. "Tell her we will take the Kiri-nin back home unharmed. But they need to either forget about this, or be made to believe it isn't real. It would be best for them to remain unconscious, and take them back as soon as possible."

After that was settled, Obito took Tsunade and Kakashi back to the island. The two left for Kiri with Naruto's bunshin, agreeing to use it to signal the others when the time was right.

* * *

It didn't take long for Tsunade to find Mei, since Chojuro had gone on ahead to arrange a meeting. Several confusing, tense hours later, their stories had been told and decisions were made.

In the end, twenty Kiri shinobi and a handful of prisoners were sent home with Minato and Obito. All the others were dead, crushed beneath the ruins and not easily reachable. It was decided that most would have to be recovered later. There were no casualties among Mei's troops.

Before they left, Mei had done something to give the Kiri guards and prisoners confusing visions, jumbled fragments of fact and fiction to cover up anything real they would remember. In return, she asked that Obito and Minato spare their lives.

Minato and Obito made it back home safely with the multitude of time-travelers. That was the easy part.

The hard part? That was everything else.

Obito walked backward out of the gouge in the earth created by the Sanbi, looking at the unconscious shinobi scattered around.

"The minute they wake up, we'll be enemies again," he said.

"Yes." Minato looked up and around. "We'd better hurry. There are fresh troops all over the island. The same amount of time must have passed here."

Minato took them to a landing point in Fire, far from any battle zones. Obito was more than ready to go home, but Minato insisted they spend the night out in the field.

He needed time to figure out their official story to the Sandaime and everyone. Obito could tell he didn't like the thought of lying to the Hokage and most of the village. Yet he knew he would, in order to protect the world—and the rag-tag team they'd formed.

In the end, they decided to keep the story simple and as close to the truth as possible: they found the prison and discovered the Sanbi jinchuuriki, who let the beast go wild when Kiri tried to kill him. The Sanbi destroyed the prison and killed most of the people there, stopping its rampage only when Minato sealed it within himself.

"That's going to be big news all on its own," Minato said, smiling somewhat ruefully at Obito over their camp fire. "But now it's out of the equation. We can move into Kiri again soon—and hopefully, bring an end to this war that much sooner."

Obito poked at the fire with a stick. He couldn't bring himself to feel good about what happened, even though it meant Rin would be safe now.

"It's because of me."

"Hm?" Minato blinked, as if he had no idea what Obito was talking about.

"I said something to Fugaku about the Sanbi. That's why they started getting so interested in stealing it. Then, when we got there, I couldn't get the old man out."

Minato took a deep breath. "There's no use in what-ifs on something that's too late to change. Part of being a leader is understanding when second thoughts are useful and when they aren't. We'll make the best of what we've ended up with. You still want to become Hokage, don't you?"

"Yeah," Obito said, and was surprised to find that he meant it. The reasons didn't feel the same as they did before. It wasn't as simple as having to prove something to everyone, or trying to get people to see him.

He hadn't realized how lonely that way of thinking was.

"I guess I'll keep training under Fugaku," Obito said as an afterthought. "It might come in handy to have someone close to the Clan Head when you get the hat."

"Me?" Minato said with a small laugh. "That would be an honor, but it looks like Tsunade-sama will be the next Hokage. I can see why. As the Shodai's granddaughter and the Sandaime's student, one of the three legendary Sannin… it's not surprising."

Obito was so stunned he dropped his stick in the fire.

Dense. That was the only way to describe it.

All this time, Obito had assumed the only things Naruto had gotten from his father were his looks and a knack for believing in people. But there was no _way_ Kushina had ever been this dense. Not a day in her life.

"Obito? What's wrong?"

"Whatever." Obito leaned to pick up another stick off the ground. "Just as long as it's not Orochimaru."

"…Ah. Right. We will have to do something about that, too."

Obito shrugged with one shoulder. "Our version of him isn't nearly as bad, supposedly. But if the one we fought ever decides to come here, I wouldn't put it past him to take his younger self's place."

"We'll worry about one thing at a time. But I agree that you should continue training under Fugaku-sama. It might come in handy sometime."

After the fire warmed enough to cook, they ate their first meal since the mission started in companionable silence. They went to sleep early to rise with the dawn for their journey home.

* * *

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. "And do you know if Fugaku will request that you be made full jounin anytime soon?"

"Not that I know of," Obito said. "The way he talks when we're training, I might as well be sent back to the Academy."

"That's a surprise." Hiruzen folded his gnarled hands together atop his desk. "After all, you were instrumental in finding the Sanbi, and you saved Minato's life by transporting him out of Kiri while he was incapacitated."

Obito shifted in place. "That's the point. My special ability is good, but the rest of me needs to catch up."

"True enough. You have plenty of time." Hiruzen watched him pensively for a moment. "In fact, that is what I wanted to speak with you about."

"Yeah? I mean—yes, sir?"

Hiruzen opened his desk drawer and took out his pipe and a canister of tobacco. He took his time filling the pipe, sprinkling pieces in and packing it with his thumb.

"Rumor has it that Fugaku intends to shape you into a candidate for Hokage. An Uchiha capable of reaching across the schism that has existed since this village was founded, regardless of how we might like to pretend otherwise."

"Oh—that. I-it's not like I—"

"I'm happy for you," Hiruzen said simply. "Isn't that the goal you stated so loudly the first day of the Academy? Of course, at least half the children there say that, but you really seemed to mean it."

Obito turned pink. "I never asked for the Clan Head's help. It's just that he can teach me how to use my Sharingan. Minato-sensei thought it was a good idea, too."

"It is a good idea." Hiruzen put the pipe in his mouth and took a couple of puffs. The tobacco began to smoulder and smoke seemingly of its own accord. He blew out a cloud to the side, away from Obito. "You need that kind of intensive training if you hope to make it that far. I've also heard you haven't tried applying to any specific department? Do you plan on joining the police?"

"No," Obito said wearily. He'd gotten tired of that question coming out of every well-meaning elder in the village—now including the Sandaime, apparently.

"Then, would you like to join the ANBU?"

That question stopped Obito in his tracks. His eyes widened. "Um… sorry. What did you say?"

"Your abilities have proven to be useful, and I believe you have the village's best interests at heart. But understand: it means you couldn't go on missions with your team very often. There is also the possibility it would place you in a difficult position with the Uchiha. But I wanted you to know the offer is there."

"No way," Obito said without thinking, causing Hiruzen to raise an amused brow.

Obito stared down at the desk. He wasn't prepared to be blindsided like this. But then, his other self hadn't 'survived' this long. Everything moving forward was going to be different.

He'd heard the other Kakashi had joined the ANBU. But that was probably after their team had been done for, anyway. Here, in this time, they were all still alive. And they needed him. Or he needed them. Whichever it was.

Obito looked back up at Hiruzen. "Sorry, but no thanks. I'll do it when Minato-sensei becomes Hokage. Until then? Nah."

"Stubborn and irreverent as ever, aren't you?" Hiruzen chuckled. "Very well."

* * *

Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and Tsunade went home from Kiri together.

A week passed in a dizzying blur. It seemed to go in a flash, yet took forever, because Naruto was so impatient to hear from Obito and Minato again.

Naruto learned from Kakashi that Jiraiya returned to the village the same day they did. But no matter how much time Naruto spent walking Konoha's streets, he couldn't find him.

The fact that Jiraiya hadn't come to see him felt like a personal insult, especially considering he'd been kidnapped the last time they were together.

When he wasn't pacing the streets muttering, Naruto spent all his time around Sakura and Kabuto. One of the first things Naruto did when they got home was catch Sakura up on everything that happened on his side of things, including everything about Kabuto and Obito.

Sakura, for her part, told them the details of Tsunade's meeting. She had been made to leave the island when Mei ordered everyone below jounin rank back to the village, but she'd been present when the time-travelers were sent home.

Despite Tsunade's staunch insistence that she wasn't taking on any more students, Kabuto always happened to be around whenever she and Sakura were training. Before long, Tsunade put him to work fetching supplies and mixing powders.

Sakura was initially skeptical, having not fully forgiven the older Kabuto for lying to them, helping Orochimaru, and hurting Tsunade and Naruto. But she quickly took a liking to the soft-spoken, diligent younger version (and being called Sakura-senpai didn't hurt, either).

Kabuto's long-term fate was still left up in the air, but for the time being he lived at the hospital, in a private room repurposed into a tiny apartment. As a result, he was often the first one at the room where Sakura and Tsunade did most of their medical training.

Restless without word from Jiraiya or Obito, Naruto started tagging along with Sakura in the morning.

On the day that marked a week since their return home, the two of them opened the doors to an empty training room.

"Where is everyone?" Naruto wondered, looking around.

"Something must have come up." Sakura lifted a note from Tsunade's desk. "Oh. It says to meet them at Tsunade-sama's house." She showed to Naruto. The note was written Kabuto's handwriting.

"Why?"

"She must be doing research or something. She has a personal library at home." Sakura shrugged and turned to walk back into the hall.

"Wait, I'm coming along too!"

"It didn't say you were invited!"

"It didn't say I was _not_ invited."

"Every time you come along, you complain about being bored."

"It's better than being bored with no one to talk to," Naruto huffed.

Sakura sighed. "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

The Hokage home was adjacent to the tower, which was next to the hospital, so it took very little time to make it to Tsunade's personal rooms.

Naruto hadn't been in there since Tsunade had taken over the place. In the curved hallway and beyond, there was a noticeable lack of ANBU guards, who used to silently stare him down whenever he visited the old man. Had Tsunade felt stifled and banned them to the tower and perimeter, or were they simply hidden?

"Hello, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura called as they poked their heads in through the front door. It had been unlocked.

"Hello!" Kabuto walked in from the hall that led to the stairs. He looked extremely pleased. "You guys made it. We have a big surprise for you."

"Uh oh," Naruto said automatically.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

Kabuto grinned. "I'll take you guys up there to see in a second. But first, Tsunade-sama wants me to tell you that if you try to start a fight, or even raise your voices too loudly, she'll kick you out. Our patient needs peace and quiet."

"Patient?" Sakura echoed. She looked at Naruto, brow raised.

When Kabuto led them to a spare bedroom upstairs, what they found was the last thing either of them had expected.

The room was converted into a patient room, with a hospital bed and implements.

Itachi was sitting up in bed, smiling at them as they came in.

Sasuke stood from his chair abruptly.

"You didn't say they would be here too," he shot at Tsunade, who was standing next to the door, arms crossed.

" _Sasuke-kun?"_ Sakura said in a strangled whisper. She made to step forward, but Tsunade rested a hand on her shoulder.

"He hasn't agreed to come back. He's only here because of Itachi. If any of you make a scene, you're out. That includes you," Tsunade added to Sasuke.

"Itachi?" Sakura surveyed the bedridden Uchiha warily. "What the _hell_ is going on here?"

"Sasuke," Naruto said, as if voicing it would get rid of his disbelief. He noticed movement in the corner of the room behind Sasuke. "Obito?"

Obito was sitting on a desk against the wall, watching them skeptically. He gave a mocking salute. "Don't ask me. I just came to deliver a message, and got dragged into this weirdness too."

"In short," Itachi began, looking from Sasuke and Obito to Naruto and Sakura, "after I was freed from Madara's dimension, I happened to meet up with Sasuke and Jiraiya-sama. He brought us here secretly after I offered to turn myself in, to exchange what I know for Sasuke's place in the village. But—"

"I told you, there's no need for that!" Sasuke slashed through the air with his hand, glaring across at his teammates as if daring them to interject. "Even if that bastard was killed, it doesn't change anything. It doesn't bring them back."

"At any rate, I've rejected that offer," Tsunade said with a remarkable amount of calmness. "Fortunately for Sasuke, there is no evidence he committed any crimes other than associating with our enemies, and that was only to pursue Itachi. While misguided and worthy of at least a suspension period, we wouldn't have arrested him anyway."

"But… you're _not_ back to stay? Where else do you need to go if Itachi's here? You're not after him anymore?" Sakura asked carefully. Naruto could tell it cost her something to maintain steady eye contact with Sasuke. But she didn't flinch.

Sasuke yielded first and looked away.

"Sasuke," Itachi said quietly. "If that's the only way you'll be able to find peace, I'm sure they'll be willing to wait for you. You may find that people are able to trust you if you give them the chance."

"What're you talking about?" Naruto asked.

"Obito told us who he is, and his power," Sasuke said, glancing back at Naruto. "I want to meet my future self. I want to know more about what happened and how things played out. I want to know what my older self knows. I've asked to be taken to the future."

" _What?"_ Naruto began loudly, but quickly cut his volume at Tsunade's look.

Sakura's brows knotted. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"I would have thought you'd want to see the past." Naruto was unable to control his outburst.

"Someday, I will. But that's not where I'll find what I want to know."

"Don't go deciding stuff on your own." Obito stood. "I don't care if you want to run off to the future, but no one comes to my place unless I _let_ them."

"Those guys in the future might not let him stay there, either," Naruto pointed out. "Kakashi-sensei in that time said we can't go there."

Obito gave an unconcerned wave of his hand. "That's why we're not going to ask him. I don't really care if he gets mad at me for it, and it doesn't seem like Sasuke does either, so we're set there."

"Aren't you the dimension-traveler who grows up to be Madara? Shouldn't we be locking you up instead?" Sakura asked skeptically.

Obito only gave a sideways smile. "Before someone started demanding a bunch of answers from me, that's the reason I came here today." He addressed Naruto. "Tsunade-sama helped me set up a way to contain the older me. Now he's saying he wants to talk to you without any of the bigwigs around. It's probably more bullshit, but we're pretty sure he can't get out, so it's up to you whether you want to listen or not."

"He wants to talk to me?" Naruto echoed.

"Hmph. Just make it quick," Tsunade said. "You understand we can't let him go free, regardless of what he says."

Naruto still hadn't recovered from the unexpected appearance of Itachi and Sasuke. He looked over at Sakura.

"Go on," Sakura said, a note of steel underlying her voice. "I can handle this."

Despite himself, Naruto smiled. "Sure. I'll go see what he wants."

* * *

In the kamui dimension, there was a new, eye-catching feature across from Kabuto's abandoned camp.

It was a large wooden cage, the slats arranged in a square grid. Symbols were carved into it at regular intervals. Tobi sat on a cot built in to one of the sides, maskless, watching as they approached.

"Where did this come from?" Naruto looked around at the cage with his mouth open slightly.

"Originally? I didn't ask. But it was a present from Tsunade-sama. She _really_ doesn't want him getting away." Obito patted one of the corners. "I didn't think it would work—thought he'd be able to break through or burn it down, but whatever kind of wood this is seems tough."

"Moku-oji," Naruto realized aloud, running his hand along the grain of one of the thick wooden boards. "We know someone who can use the Shodai's Wood Release technique. I don't know everything it can do, but I guess it's sealing him somehow."

"If your Hokage liked you less, you could have easily ended up in a cage like this," Tobi said coolly.

Obito hit his fist on the heavily reinforced corner. "Look, I brought him here. Get to the point."

Tobi gave a satisfied smile, as if the barb had reached exactly the target intended. "Before everyone has their chance to take a shot at me, I wanted to give you a warning."

"About what?" Naruto rested his hands on one of the slats.

Tobi held his gaze through the square frame created by the bars. "You seem to know all about my position in Akatsuki. But have you thought about what they might do if Zetsu and I both disappear?"

"Obviously. That's why you're in this dimension," Obito said. "If anyone goes looking for you, they won't find you."

"That's not what I'm saying. No one will miss me." Tobi leaned back against the bars casually. "Most of them don't even know who I am. Their leader has a different face. Or, more accurately, faces."

"Nagato," Naruto murmured.

"So you know. Truthfully, controlling him was one of the most difficult aspects of our plan. I couldn't overpower him directly as with Yagura. I had to be cautious and smart, and convince him that following along was the best way. Still, I can't say he was ever entirely loyal to me or the plan. And now Akatsuki belongs to him."

Naruto felt a chill slither down his spine. Tobi made it sound like his presence kept Nagato in line, somehow. But there was no way that could be true. Could it?

"Konan-nee told me Akatsuki was never yours. They never saw it that way."

Tobi gave a humorless laugh. "Of course they didn't. I had to keep them under control, while at the same time allowing them the illusion of control. Of the two, Konan has always trusted me the least. I'm sure she would happily murder me in my sleep before Nagato could finish giving the order."

"That doesn't make them sound too bad in my book," Obito said. "Do you know these people or something, Naruto?"

"Yeah. I met them in the future. Nagato was actually the one who Summoned me, remember? I told you."

"…Oh. Right."

Naruto shook his head. "But they did end up betraying Tobi in that timeline. They were good guys when I met them."

"Oh," Obito said again. "Okay, then he's just trying to freak you out for no reason."

"No." Naruto dropped his hands down by his sides. "They told me about everything that happened. It was… bad. Really, really bad. They destroyed the village. They killed Ero-sennin. And that was all while following the fake Madara's plan."

"What—and you've known about this the whole time?" Obito looked surprised.

"Yeah, but… I haven't thought about it in a while." Naruto frowned. "I don't think it can _get_ much worse, but all that stuff might not be true anymore. And Nagato knew it, too. He told me hindsight can't solve everything. I have to find an answer to the problem that's here now, not the one that was there before." Naruto looked back at Tobi. "Thanks for reminding me."

"How much time do you have before they start moving again?" Obito asked.

"Before, they only started making big moves a little while before the Fourth War. But it might be completely different now."

"I get it." Obito leaned to peer into the cage. "Is this the part where you say you'll tell us in exchange for something?"

"No," Tobi said. "This is the part where I say I have no idea what will happen. Whether they stick to the plan, or whether they focus entirely on bringing pain to the world… your guess is as good as mine."

* * *

Two short days later, it was time to leave on the next journey.

The morning rose bright and clear. There was a hint of summer in the air as Naruto shrugged on his backpack and made his way down to the village gate.

He'd already said goodbye to Sakura and Kabuto. Tsunade had finally taken Kabuto on as a student. She wouldn't admit it if anyone asked, but she'd already started teaching him directly. The two apprentice medics were already acting like rivals.

As for Sasuke… he was gone from their time. But as long as Itachi remained there, healing in secret, they knew he would eventually come back.

Naruto grinned and waved at Izumo as he passed through the gate. Izumo raised a brow and made a shooing motion at him in return.

Jiraiya was standing outside, and he turned to walk down the path immediately, making Naruto trot to keep pace with him.

"Don't take too long," Jiraiya said without greeting or pause. "And please, for the love of all that's good, _don't_ get stranded over there again."

"I won't." Naruto was nearly bouncing in his step. "Obito already tested it out. He can find Kabuto as long as we have the book."

"Alright." Jiraiya sounded skeptical, but he smiled over at him. "Give them a big hello from me, okay?"

"You sure you don't want to go?"

"Not this time. You should have the chance to spend a little time with them. Are _you_ sure you only want today? You can stay the night if you want."

Naruto inhaled deeply. "It's okay. I'll be able to see them a lot from now on. The sooner we figure out what Akatsuki's doing, the more Jinchuuriki we can save. The future's not gonna happen until we make it. Right?"

"Hm." Jiraiya scratched his chin. "I heard about Sasuke. You're okay with his decision to travel to the future?"

"I wish he'd stayed." Naruto loosed the grip on his backpack straps and let his hands fall to his sides. "But… I understand why he didn't. I don't know what Itachi told him, but I don't think he's going to feel resolved until he finds what he's looking for. I'm just glad he's… he and Itachi are alive, and he's not…" Naruto tightened his jaw against the sudden well of emotion, a mixture of sadness and relief. "I know nothing will be the same if we all come back home someday, but at least we're able to. We can't get everything back. But we can start something new."

"That's true," Jiraiya murmured.

Walking quickly, they took the path beyond Konoha's outer forests and onto the main road. They finally reached the end of the hidden village's protected territory.

Obito was waiting for them there, dressed in plain traveler's clothes, as per Jiraiya's request. He stood from his spot on the grass and brushed his pants.

"This could've been much quicker if we did it my way," he grumbled.

Jiraiya took no notice. "Is everything ready on your end? Do you know where and when to come back?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Don't worry so much."

"That's so reassuring. I feel much better."

Obito gave a little grin and held out his hand to Naruto. "C'mon."

* * *

Obito took him to a peaceful-looking courtyard. A rock-lined path made of pebbles wound through tidily kept trees and shrubs. The veranda surrounding them was lined with paper doors, all closed.

"Where are we?" Naruto wondered aloud, cautiously scanning the area.

"You remember that onsen where I first found you? Apparently only people who are friendly with the Toads of Myoboku can find this place. Minato-sensei thought it would be safer to meet outside the village, and… well, my kamui's kinda occupied right now."

The courtyard garden looked different than in his time, but Naruto recognized the place now. Jiraiya had brought them here before for the same reason, to hide out and recuperate. The surrounding mountains were an impenetrable maze for anyone who approached with ill intent.

Naruto heard laughter dart across the courtyard and his heart leapt into his mouth. He turned. It had come from an open door on the other side.

He took a step in that direction, but froze when he spotted Minato walking around the room, and a woman that could be no one but Kushina. She was sitting at a low table with her back turned to the door, wearing an onsen-provided yukata with vibrant red hair piled up on her head. She was speaking to Minato, but Naruto couldn't hear the words from across the garden.

"I'll be back tonight," Obito said. The statement hovered in the air like a question.

Naruto nodded. "Thanks. See you later."

He unfroze his legs and took another step forward. Obito didn't follow.

The two in the room stopped chatting when he stepped onto the veranda. Minato was the first to glance over and see him. His face broke into a smile. Kushina turned around, eyes slightly wide. She looked equal parts wary and curious.

"Uh, hello." Naruto laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. He glanced at Minato for guidance.

"Sandaime-sama gave us some time off." Minato answered the unspoken question. He knelt down at the table and sat with his legs crossed. "It's not easy to get out like this these days, especially for us. And now that I'm…" He paused, dropping the thought before continuing. "Fortunately, only the Sandaime knows. I convinced him to give us time to ourselves in a place few people know about."

"I helped," Kushina told Naruto conspiratorially, her shoulders relaxing. "I convinced him there were important Jinchuuriki things we have to go over. I let him know it was in his best interest to give us a break."

Even though she joked, Naruto could see the pain underneath her smile. It made his heart hurt.

"Why don't you sit down?" Kushina patted the mat beside her. "Minato told me about you, but to be honest, it's hard to believe! I wanted to see you as soon as possible, to make sure he and Obito hadn't gotten their brains fried by the Sanbi."

Naruto sat down beside her and clenched his trembling hands in his lap. His face felt very warm, and tears were threatening to rise the moment he let his concentration waver.

Kushina noticed. She carefully took his hands and folded them between hers.

"It's alright, you know?" she said, eyes lowered to their clasped hands. "It sounds like you had it rough... growing up, I mean. I'm sorry for that. I'm also sorry that… how can I put it?" Kushina gave a little self-conscious laugh.

"We can't make up for what you've lost," Minato said softly. Naruto looked at him through blurry eyes.

"Yes. That's it." Kushina nodded. "We're not the people who waited impatiently for you every single day, who lost sleep thinking about names and expenses and dangers and how to lay you down for a nap and—" Kushina took a deep breath. "We aren't your real parents, even if our genetics match perfectly. I know just as well that blood ties aren't what really make a family. But all the same… if you want it, we would like for you to be part of ours."

Naruto screwed up his face against the painful tightening in his throat, and the tears spilled over. He leaned forward and Kushina held him readily, her arms like support beams to hold him up.

After he had shed enough tears to speak again, he croaked out, "Yes. Definitely." Kushina and Minato laughed.

After a moment, Naruto backed up enough to scrub at his eyes with his sleeve. Then he looked up at Kushina. "But what're you going to do when there's another me?"

Kushina and Minato shared a significant look. Then Kushina turned to him again.

"Naruto," she said, as if testing the name out.

"W-what?"

"That probably won't happen."

Naruto felt a jolt. "What do you mean? Why?"

Kushina frowned, the corners of her lips twitching. Then she pressed her face to her palm. "Ahh! I can't believe I've been a parent all of two minutes and I already have to give The Talk, 'ttebane!"

Naruto's face flared. "What? N-No! I didn't mean—that's not what I meant!"

Minato had placed his face in his palms too. "No… what's she's trying to say is…" appearing to gather his resolve, Minato looked up. "Our situation has changed enough that it's unlikely an exact _you_ will happen in this world. Besides… we will have to wait before we can even consider having more children."

"Why?" Naruto asked, almost too afraid to want the answer.

Kushina carefully brushed the marks on his cheek with her thumb. "The Shodai's wife, Mito-sama, was the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi before me. She told me about the extra risks for Jinchuuriki mothers and their children. But as far as we know—and we've checked all the records we could find—there has never been a situation with two Jinchuuriki parents."

"Tsunade-sama is looking into it," Minato said quickly, no doubt noting Naruto's dismay and Kushina's thinly veiled sadness. "We just have to move forward carefully."

"I'm sorry—" Naruto started.

"No." Kushina lowered her hands to clasp his again. "None of this is your fault. And regardless of what happens, we still have you. We'll worry about that when we have to, no sooner."

Minato was gazing at Kushina with mingled respect and love. "It will be alright. I know it will."

"Of course! Anyway, we'll have some more time to get to know our first son." Kushina's eyes sparked with amusement. "Okay! I was promised that this place had amazing food service, and that might be the only thing Jiraiya-sama doesn't exaggerate. What kind of foods do you like, Naruto?"

They ordered generously from the menu and had a big meal all together. Naruto told Kushina and Minato about his training with Jiraiya, and the upcoming mission that would hopefully save all the Jinchuuriki in his time.

As Jiraiya had warned him, the time went by far quicker than he expected. When Obito showed up again at the door to their room, Naruto was shocked to see the sun setting far behind him, beyond the courtyard walls.

The talk and the laughter died down. Naruto got up from the table. "I… I guess this is goodbye for now."

Kushina stood and pulled him into a crushing hug. "Please take care. And be careful on your mission with Jiraiya-sama. He means well, but somehow I kind of doubt he's gotten much more responsible in his old age."

"Yeah, I know." Naruto laughed. "See you later… kaa-chan." The word felt so alien in his mouth. His eyes stung, and he blinked.

"You'll come back." Kushina said it with such fierceness that it didn't sound anything like a question.

"I will." Naruto laughed again, tears of joy beading in his eyes. "I will."

* * *

Obito took him home.

Jiraiya had already rented a room in the coastal town close to where the Rokubi Jinchuuriki was last seen. Their mission would begin by investigating the missing Jinchuuriki's whereabouts. Naruto said goodbye to Obito and fell into bed with hardly a word to Jiraiya, exhausted from the eventful day.

That night, he dreamed about the future for the first time in a while.

The rain fell in a soft hush beyond the overhang. Naruto swung his bare feet over the edge of the platform, refreshed by the feeling of cool air and mist. The exhilaration of seeing Amegakure sprawled out below made up for the tower's dizzying heights and lack of guard rails. The lights of the city looked like a sea of stars underneath his feet.

The hour was late.

"So, I think I get what you're saying about how the Six Paths work." Naruto leaned back on his hands and watched the dark clouds drifting over the watery moon. "But didn't you say earlier that knowing how to beat them wasn't enough? What does that even mean?"

"I don't fully understand it myself," Nagato murmured. He was sitting on the ledge too, gazing down at the city with an expression Naruto had already come to recognize—like he was half-watching, half-listening to something no one else could see or hear. His red hair shone like blood in the dim light.

"Come on, this is my future we're talking about," Naruto complained. "Konan-nee said when the older me heard your story, something changed. But she's already told it to me. What else can I do to stop you when I go back?"

"It's difficult to imagine. Back then, I was desperately looking for an answer. You didn't know it, either… somehow, I think that helped. But it was so dependent on the circumstances, I can't say for sure what you should do when you go home."

Naruto hummed skeptically and went back to swinging his feet.

"I'm sorry." There was a flicker of a sad smile on Nagato's cracked-porcelain face.

"I guess if you don't know, you don't know. But I figured it out the first time—I'm sure I can do it again!"

"Not that. I'm sorry for all the trouble I will cause you in the future. I wish there was a way you could avoid it, but I don't think there is." Nagato raised his gaze to the sky, suddenly so sad and pained that he seemed ancient. "The problem with hindsight is that it never arrives in time. I can tell you about all my techniques, but I don't know how to prepare you for the worst you may experience when we meet again. I can only ask that you put it off as long as possible. Become as strong as you can. And if the time comes where the only choice is to end me—please do it. If that happens—"

"It won't. It won't have to."

"—If that happens, Konan will try to carry on in my stead. So it's important for her to see that we met like this, that you did as I asked."

Naruto frowned. "It's not gonna come to that. I don't think she'd believe me, anyway."

Naruto blinked when Nagato shifted toward him and lightly rested a hand over his face, first three fingers pressed to his forehead. Before Naruto could ask what he was doing, Nagato had already withdrawn his hand.

"Huh?" Naruto touched his forehead.

"You can use this memory. A certain circumstance will make your eyes look like mine for a moment, and you will be able to show her this memory."

"Eh? _What?"_ Naruto scrubbed an arm across his eyes, as if that would make a difference. "If you could do something like that, why can't you just tell your younger self to stop?"

"I'll leave the timing up to your judgement. But even if my younger self believed this is real, he would only think I'm a complete failure. That _this_ is an outcome to be avoided at any cost. I've always hated myself more than anyone else."

"I don't want either of you to get killed." Naruto's brows knit in consternation. "I just wanna understand what you were thinking. I mean, the story makes sense to me, and I get how you ended up like you did. But why 'pain'? That's the key to it all, right?"

Nagato fell silent, paused as if trying to find the words to explain.

"I still feel the same way about it… somewhat."

"About what?"

Nagato looked up toward the gray clouds, hair brushing over his cheek. "We feel pain for any number of reasons, but the ultimate cause is our expectations. We expect things to continue as they are, or maybe even get better. That everything we love will be with us for another day. That we will be safe and happy if we only do the right things. Hope and pain are two sides of the same coin."

Naruto wrinkled his face with effort. "Is that… what you mean by embracing pain? Because of hope?"

Nagato looked over at him, the hint of a genuine smile lingering about his face. "Yes. There's no other way. At one time, I wanted to create a hopeful world by monopolizing the inevitable pain. I thought no one could pursue good things without running away from pain. That it was impossible to embrace reality as it is, while simultaneously hoping for something better. To reject neither pain nor hope."

"I understand that… I think."

"But it is possible. For you, it comes naturally, but most people find it very difficult. Madara and I are what happens when either one of these is rejected entirely. In that way, we're opposites."

Naruto scratched his head. "So… if you were all about embracing pain, and Madara is all about rejecting it, I wonder what Orochimaru's deal is. He doesn't seem to care what people do, as long as stuff changes and he's there to see it."

"I'm not sure. He was in Akatsuki long ago, and appears to have different motivations from then. But from what you've told me… he may reject nothing, to the point where nothing has meaning."

Naruto let out a sigh. "I'm happy to help you guys out, but I'll be glad when I get to go home."

"Me too." Nagato paused. "Don't rush in. When the time to face me arrives, the things you need to know will come to you."

"Like what? What things?"

Nagato smiled. "I told you. When the time comes, you will know."

* * *

 **A/N: That's it, that's the end.**

 **Thanks so, so much to everyone who has read this far. All your comments and encouragement have truly helped me see this through to the end. I've learned so much from doing this project.**

 **From here, I want to go back to basics and do some serious work on improving my writing, especially in original fiction. I'm not sure what the future of this series is, except that I wanted to leave the option for a continuation open. For now though, it's a relief to end such a large project and move on to different things.**

 **Updates on anything I do next will be posted on my tumblr at Blaizekit!**

 **Thanks again!**


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